


'l sol tace

by Togale (amoralisch)



Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-28
Updated: 2014-04-04
Packaged: 2018-01-06 11:17:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 43,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1106182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amoralisch/pseuds/Togale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The daily routine at the shop comes to an abrupt end when unexpected news reach Dante from Fortuna</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: DMC4 obviously isn't mine, but is property of Capcom

 

"Devil May Cry." The voice of the man sitting at the desk sounded monotone. Just a moment ago he had tried to sleep, boot clad feet on the wooden surface of the desk, a magazine over his face, eyes closed, trying to sleep the afternoon away. Now the telephone upset his plans. "Ah, it's you," he said. The female voice answering him was unmistakably his partner's. Trish came and went like she wanted to, but they kept in touch somehow, knowing that they would meet sooner or later. "Got it. Later." The receiver of the vintage phone found its place noisily but without forcing Dante to sit up properly. He still had some time to kill before Trish would show up, so he closed his eyes again like nothing happened.

"What's up?" the devil hunter wanted to know, a piece of pizza in his hand. Instead of an answer, he got a glimpse of a newspaper. It was thrown in front of him on the desk and Trish took a piece of pizza herself. Apparently she trusted Dante, who again showed no manners at all, to find the answer himself. Sighing, the devil hunter took the paper, stuffed his pizza slice into his mouth and wiped his hands on his pants. The first thing he noticed was that the newspaper came from the region of Fortuna. Nothing you could get around here easily, unless you knew where to look. The small castle town had made it into the national news a single time and they both knew that it happened a year ago when the so called Savior had come to life, leaving half of the city in ruins, and drowning in demons. After that? Nothing. But there could only be one reason why Trish had brought him this particular paper. Unlike Dante, his partner seemed to be especially vigilant when it came to devil arms. Yamato, Vergil's former sword, was still entrusted in the care of a certain spirited young man, exactly where Dante had left it a year ago, being well aware what kind of risk it could be. At least he hoped it was still there. But he started to get doubts. His eyes scanned the headlines until he found what he was looking for. Three people killed by half demon He read the article suspiciously. It said that Nero had been arrested yesterday, after killing two men and a young woman named Kyrie, a famous singer of the city. The corpses were mauled and it had taken twenty armed men to detain the half demon. The outrage of the community had been so massive; a swift judgment was to be expected.

"You got to be kidding…" the devil hunter mumbled, the pizza in front of him forgotten. Dante skimmed through the article again. There was no doubt about Kyrie being the same girl he had met a year ago in Fortuna. Absurd. Nero might have been inexperienced, hot-headed and cheeky but he wasn't a murderer. And Dante could think of no scenario in which the kid laid a finger on that girl. Not like that. Something was wrong, it stunk to high heaven. Dante tossed the paper back on the desk and stood up.

"What are you going to do?" Trish asked and looked at him.

"It's obvious, isn't it? I'm going to Fortuna." It was rare that Trish saw her partner angry like that. Dante was good at hiding behind masks of sarcasm and mockery, acting like nothing could really get to him. But she knew it wasn't like that. But now he didn't even bother to hide anything. He took Rebellion, giving the sword a long look and came back to the desk. Ebony an Ivory found their places beneath the red coat. Dante took the keys to his bike and left the shop. Trish watched him go and sighing sat down behind the desk. It seemed like the devil hunter would be gone for a while. Someone better kept an eye on the shop until he came back.


	2. Into the Castle Town

 

 

It took Dante half the night to get to Fortuna, just to be confronted with the next problem. At this hour it seemed unlikely to find a ship to get to the island. As if even the weather conspired against him, it had started to rain a while ago. What had started as a light drizzle became a thunderstorm in no time. The wind whipped the rain through the deserted streets, swinging old street lamps and road signs creaking back and forth, casting shadows on the walls. He had no choice; Dante would have to wait till next morning to reach his destination.

 

The bike came to a halt in front of one of the few hotels at the harbor, an old brick building with a rusty sign above the door. In the distance he could make out the dark silhouette of the island, in between was just black, agitated sea.

 

The door shut noisily behind the devil hunter, woke up the hotelier behind his counter who had fallen asleep over a book. In a night like this he certainly had not expected any guests. The hotelier was yanked out of his sleep, took a look at the man in front of him. Red coat, wet, white hair and eyes almost as light as his hair. They so piercing, as if they had seen too much, seeing as the man in front of him could not have been older than his thirties. On his back he carried a huge sword and the hotelier wondered if such a weapon, considering the indubitably heavy weight, could be used to fight or was merely an item to impress. The devil hunter looked somehow familiar but he couldn't quite place him. "Terrible weather isn't it?" he asked and he man came closer.

 

"Yes. I guess I wouldn't find a ship tonight?" Dante asked, taking a pen to enter his name into the book in front of him.

 

"A ship? Not at this hour and certainly not in this weather. To the island I assume?" The hotelier watched him.

 

"Right. Well, a room for the night. Doesn't matter which one. I won't stay long." Dante pushed the book across the counter.

 

The hotelier took it, searched for the right key to one of the rooms. Dante he read and gazed at the man in front of him. "You are a devil hunter," he said and the man in front of him answered with a nod. "Ah, I get it, I get it! It's about the boy. Yes, that's a tragedy. To be honest I always thought it's a bad idea to let demons and half-breeds live inside the city. They may act like humans but they are just monsters." The eyes of the devil hunter revealed nothing about his thoughts regarding this topic. He just took the key and vanished at the staircase leaving the hotelier who bend forward slightly and watched him leave.

 

At first day light Dante left the hotel. The rain didn't stop, but at least the storm had passed the city. The harbor was quiet. He met a few fishermen who didn't care about the rain. They had no choice in the matter anyway. His way brought him down to the ferries and a short look up to the schedule told him, that he still had some time to kill. But he couldn't help himself. In fact, Dante had no problem sleeping half of the day at his desk, he simply didn't care but tonight his thoughts hadn't let him sleep. He was restless.

 

He had to wait, unless he wanted to swim across the bay. Dante stepped beneath a porch to escape the rain. In the meantime even the fishermen left the docks, leaving just the hunter behind. What a forlorn place.

 

The first ferry took him to the island two hours later. The transit wouldn't take longer than twenty minutes and Dante spent the time on deck, watching the island and the castle town Fortuna getting closer. He ignored the rain, had given up escaping it some time ago. The closer they got the clearer was the extent of destruction caused by the battle a year ago on his last visit here. On the wall visible to everyone the crest of the Order was still resplendent. It was a symbol even Nero had worn proudly on the shoulder of his coat. Nero. "Just wait Kid. Almost there."

 

His way brought him up the hill into the town. First of all he had to find out where to find the boy. Dante doubted that the old headquarters were still in use, not after what he had seen last time. The explosion had destroyed the once so proud building, leaving nothing more than ruins behind. A cry behind him let him stop. He didn't have to search as a young girl came running up the hill. She was maybe fifteen with dark hair and green eyes, wide in fear. She wore a simple blue dress, torn at her right ankle. Frightened she looked back and soon Dante spotted the cause of her panic. An Assault, the same kind he had seen last year after the gate had been opened, had found her. The devil hunter pulled his trustworthy weapons, two shots pierced the morning air. The first bullet hit home in the left eye of the reptile. Screeching in pain and throwing its head back, exposing the soft flesh for the second bullet. It went right through the neck, bringing the Assault down and the only thing that was left was a powerful strike with Rebellion to finish the job.

 

A slight grin pulled at the corners of his lips as Dante cleaned the blood from his blade with a swift swing. This kind of creature wasn't nearly enough to be a warm up for him. But he couldn't help but wonder why one of these reptiles had been hunting this close to town. He had seen many of them after the gate had changed the towns' surroundings into a lush forest. But given a year had passed since then he thought they should have been extinct by now.

 

The girl stood next to him, muttering a shy thank you but he shrugged it off. "My pleasure," he said with an implied bow, which didn't fail its effect. Blushing, the girl looked down unsure what to say. He accompanied her back to town watching out for more demons. "Are there still a lot of attacks?" he wanted to know.

 

She shook her head. "No. The demons are almost gone but a few days ago they came back, closer to town. We don't know why."

 

Since Nero is gone, he thought.

 

"Are you here to hunt demons?" This question made him grin again.

 

"Just one. A half-demon to be precise." It seemed like she knew exactly of whom he was talking about and she didn't hide her feelings for the young half-breed.

 

With a short nod, she answered: "I hope they kill him." Her voice was barely more than a whisper. He arched a white brow to her words. "Someone like him, someone who killed Kyrie, doesn't deserve anything else."

 

"Where can I find him?" he wanted to know as they came through the first lively streets.

 

"The knights of the Order took him." They came to the market square and she pointed at one of the buildings. White walls with the red crest of the Order made it hard to miss. "Back to headquarters," she told him. Not as impressive as the last one he observed. But a place like that would be hard to find. Dante wondered how the knights of the Order would feel, now that all the clever traps and white demon armors were gone. He would find out for himself. Dante bid a short farewell to the young Lady, not more than a short lift of his hand and made his way over to the white building across the square. It was time to hit some sense into the kid.

 

Dante didn't pass the entrance before the first guards came closer. They wanted to know who he was what he wanted but Dante didn't feel like answering some stupid questions right now. He was here to get some answers. Getting access wasn't too hard and he did need neither Rebellion nor his guns for the task. He eventually made his way into an office, dominated by an old desk in front of a window. At the desk sat a man who seemed confused about the riot and as soon as the guards entered the room, still shouting and trying to arrest the devil hunter, they became silent, only one shouting "Attention!"

 

Dante watched in amusement as the proud knights stood motionless beside him. "Good boy," he mocked the man next to him, ignoring the angry look in his face.

 

"What is the meaning of this?" the man at the desk wanted to know, leaving his seat.

 

"Sir, this man is trespassing sacred ground. He…"

 

"Came to claim what belongs to him," Dante cut in, not having the patience to wait for any further explanation. The man in front of him gazed him in the eye and held up his hand in a calming motion.

 

"I understand. I'll handle it myself." On his command the knights left the room, leaving the two behind. "Dante, isn't it? My name is Rufus. Current leader of the Order of the Sword." He offered the hunter a seat in front oft he desk.

 

"It won't take long," Dante refused, not moving from his place but leaning against the wall. "I came for the boy."

 

"Nero, yes. Well, that's a problem. He is already convicted. His crimes are to be punished with execution." A sneer was all Dante had to offer to such words.

 

"The kid wouldn't murder anyone even if his own life was on the line. Who the hell wants to get rid of him? A kid with a demonic arm, how convenient to frame him with murder of three innocent people. Who would have guessed?" He spread his arms and shook his head to his words.

 

"Well, technically we just framed him with one murder. He took care of the rest," Rufus answered dryly watching signs of doubt creeping into Dante's features. "However, his sentence has been executed. Whatever your reason to meet him, you are too late, Dante."

 

The devil hunter burst into laughter. "It will take more to kill the boy than that." Dante had seen what Nero could take and he doubted that anyone here could harm the young half demon. "Besides, I'm here to get what's mine. The boy has a sword and I'll take it."

 

"His weapons were taken from him. Feel free to take them," Rufus agreed. He had seen that his men didn't stand a chance against the hunter; he had no basis for negotiation. But Dante shook his head.

 

"No one would have taken this sword from him. Where is he? I need to talk to him." He made it clear that no was not an option.

 

They took him down to the basement. There however a guard blocked his path again. Dante was about to put the man into his place when the knight told him to wait. The devil hunter raised a brow questionably as gunshots echoed from behind closed doors. The image of Nero, finally coming to his senses and getting out of here came to his mind but the sound hadn't been Blue Rose being fired. It had been the unmistakable sound of rifles. Dante looked questioningly at the man in front of him. "Execution," came the short reply.

 

"I thought they did that already," Dante said unimpressed.

 

"It's the third. This damned demon won't stay down." Eyes widened barely noticeable. "His death sentence states that he has to be shot. But it seems it's useless against this kind of demon. Sooner or later we will have to come up with something else. We thought about burying him but I guess he would wake up even if we did. Fire. I say we burn him." He barely finished speaking when a merciless hand grabbed his neck, making it impossible to breathe. He could feel fear reach deep into his bones as he looked into the face of the hunter. Eyes behind white hair were shining red.

 

"One word…" the hunter threatened "Be gone lest I forget myself," he snarled his teeth bared.


	3. Finding Nero

 

 

What a sight. The room-it was really more of a corridor than a room-about ten yards long, it could be accessed from both sides through heavy metal doors. The livid light came from glass sky lights but couldn't illuminate the room with no sunshine outside. Walls and cement floor were as cold as the metal grid hanging on the wall at the far end. Confined to it by metal chains was Nero, both arms stretched out to both sides, hanging limp, not breathing. Lifeless, it seemed. An impression Dante believed to have given at various occasions.

 

Three bullets, the hunter noticed. Two to the chest, one in the head and from what he had heard it hadn't been first time. He could smell the thick smell of fresh blood in the air. It was dripping from the boy's wounds, ruining the shirt and jeans, leaving them soaking wet and spreading glistening red on the floor. Nero's coat was missing, leaving his demon arm unprotected against curious eyes. It hadn't changed from what Dante could remember. Demon skin spread like scales from the boy's right shoulder to lethal claws. The arm's usual imposing blue shine faded. Dante crossed the room, watching Nero closely as he stood in front of him. It was hard to believe that Yamato was still resting inside the short-tempered kid's Devil Bringer. The whole situation seemed unusual, and raised questions which Dante couldn't ignore. The hunter didn't doubt that Nero was able to escape his prison, that he had been able to prevent being captured in the first place. Why was the young man still here?

 

The devil hunter wondered how long it would take for the younger one to open his eyes again. He may have the blood of Sparda, but it wasn't as strong as in the two sons of the demon lord. Chances were that Nero could withstand this ordeal for a while, but not forever. Dante let his hand brush some of Nero's once white hair out of his face. It was stained with blood. The young man's eyes were closed, his blood running down his pale face, dripping from slightly open lips. Dante let his eyes wander down the upper part of Nero's body. He could see how the young man came back to life, wounds started to heal, pushing bullets out. You could count on demon blood.

 

It took a few moments until his right arm regained his usual blue glow and Nero let out a agonized moan. Dante could imagine that it wasn't the most pleasant way to wake up. As reassuring it was to know a headshot wouldn't be fatal, it didn't change the fact that it hurt like hell to be shot. "Hey kid," Dante said as Nero became more alert. "Interesting place to take a nap. Not exactly my style but to each his own."

 

The younger half demon didn't answer. He seemed to have trouble keeping his head up, opened his eyes with some difficulty, apparently not knowing who was standing in front of him. "Cat got your tongue?" He remembered the line from their first encounter and Dante took quite a bit of pleasure in returning it now. It didn't miss to serve the purpose. But the reply got stuck in the younger man's throat. Nero was coughing up more blood, spitting it out onto the sticky floor. He could feel Dante's grip on this chin, lifting his head. The bullet wound on his forehead had healed. Only his blood smeared face indicated where it had been. The younger half-breed threw his head back to avoid the grip.

 

"Why are you here?" he asked finally.

 

"That's my line. Is that the latest fashion for depressed teenagers? Some kind of suicide trip?" Dante crossed his arms in front of his broad chest.

 

"Get lost."

 

"I'm hurt. I came all this way - just to see you, kid."

 

"To get Yamato," corrected Nero grimly.

 

"I started to doubt if my brother's sword is still in your hands. Seems like you lost your interest in it, rather hanging around here," the devil hunter said with a nod directed at the chains. "I told you. If you die without giving my sword back, I'm gonna be pissed."

 

"I don't care," Nero growled.

 

"Cut the crap," the elder said suddenly serious. "What happened?" Nero just shot him a dark glare but didn't reply. "Kid," Dante said, a touch too snidely. In a fluent movement he drew Ebony, pointed the gun at Nero.

 

"If that's a threat, it's not very convincing", the younger devil answered and shrugged as much as he could in this position. The shot rang in his ears but didn't cause him to flinch. But instead of another bullet in his head, he could feel his chains coming lose, sliding to the ground.

 

The boy must have been here for quite some time, because as his chains couldn't hold him to the wall anymore, all he could do was stumble a few steps. The shoulder of the older devil stopped his fall like a brick wall, unyielding. Dante took hold of Nero's right wrist, pulled him to the door. "Let's get out of here."

 

"H-Hey!" The younger half demon just stumbled helplessly behind him. Dante ignored him, headed for the exit. "What the hell," Nero complained, trying to get loose. He didn't get an answer. As the guards noticed Nero's escape, they came after the two, trying to stop them. It was more than a quaint scene to look at. Dante was pulling Nero behind him like a disobedient child, the same time forcing their way out, taking care not to kill someone unintentionally with Rebellion. They were almost outside, as Nero finally broke loose from the older man's grip. His Devil Bringer glowed dangerously and he used it to smash Dante into the cold floor. The hunter snarled something unintelligible, came back onto his feet, facing the rebelling young man.

 

"What was that for?" he yelled.

 

"What do you think you are doing?" Nero countered.

 

"Getting out of here!"

 

"I'm not going anywhere!" That made Dante sneer.

 

"What a lovely home to choose! Are you so eager to die? There are easier ways to do it," he said making a protruding gesture.

 

"None of your business!"

 

"Then hand over Yamato," the hunter demanded, hand holding out in front of him. Nero hid his right hand, Yamato resting within it, behind his back protectively, glaring at the older man.

 

"No."

 

"I said you could keep it, not that it belongs to you. It's mine and I want it back," Dante told him irreconcilably.

 

"Go blow yourself!" Meanwhile the knights of the Order had surrounded them but no one dared to interfere, unsure what to think of the situation. It seemed like the escaped half demon didn't even want to flee. Rufus was the first of them to speak, demanding an explanation. But Dante ignored him.

 

"How I see it, kid, there is only one solution. If you don't want to return my sword, you have to come with me." The foolproof logic behind this made Dante ignore the leader of the Order who was getting more than irritated with the situation at hand. Their voices rang in the hallways, getting louder. Rufus was trying to make himself heard, while Nero put up a verbal and heated fight, cursing and insulting the older hunter. Dante had enough. "You want him? You can't have him! I'm here for the sword and as long as the boy has it, he is coming with me! And who thinks he can stop me can try it," he said in Rufus' direction.

 

But Nero wouldn't have any of it and was sneering at the hunter. "Try? I'll show you how easy it is to stop you, old man!" He held out his right hand, taunting Dante, ready to fight the older half demon. But what happened seemed to catch him off guard. Instead of the white haired hunter, he found himself facing a dark explosion of energy, engulfing Dante's demon form. Two impressive black wings were unfolding from his back, but Nero didn't have a chance to look at them, as Dante lunged at him too fast to evade. Nero didn't know what happened as he sank into the arms of the demon, out cold. Dante glanced back over his shoulder, watching the knights flinching backwards and even Rufus took a step back.

 

"He is coming with me," the demon snarled and carried the boy effortlessly out of the building. No one stood in his way.


	4. Leaving Fortuna

 

 

Nero woke up to rhythmical movements and a sense of fear in his surroundings. First thing he noticed was the broad back in front of his face while he was hanging slightly awkwardly upside down. Dante's steady feet fell heavy on cobble stone pavement, leading them out of the town. Nero could hear the people talking, too afraid to come near the two half demons they watched them, talking in hushed voices.

 

Debating with himself if he should attack the older hunter from behind his back with his Devil Bringer or simply start trashing around so Dante would drop him, Nero frowned. Before he could reach his decision the man who carried him over his shoulder spoke first. "You really need to learn how to keep your cool." Nero growled in reply, unwilling to be carried anymore, he started to kick his legs, trying to get a good hit at the older male. It looked rather graceless as Dante simply dropped him with a shrug and the young man hit the floor. Regaining his balance, Nero came back on his feet, eyeing the hunter suspiciously. Dante had regained his human form and nothing indicated that he had triggered at all. "You are in no condition to put up a fight. Just drop it, kid."

 

Nero knew the older male was right about that, but his pride wouldn't let him admit it so easily. "I have enough fight in me to take _you_ down, old man."

 

Dante ignored that and went down the path leading into the forest, not even looking back. That wasn't what Nero expected. It triggered a memory of Dante leaving him behind a while ago, waving a short good-bye when he clearly wanted to hear something more from the older demon hunter. Before he knew it, Nero's feet were back in motion again, walking fast to follow Dante.

 

They stopped at a small clearing. The rain had finally stopped and the sun was hidden by thick green leaves, still rising to its zenith but the air was getting warmer, humid and it wouldn't take both of them long to break a sweat.

 

"Why did you come here?" Nero was the first of them to speak again.

 

"I read about you in the news. Let's say you left an impression with what you've done." The words weren't spoken harshly but they made Nero feel uneasy again. He knew he had to explain some things to the older male but it was hard to talk about what happened. He took a deep breath and locked his eyes with Dante's.

 

"They killed her," Nero's voice was barely above a whisper, tears stinging in his eyes as the fresh memory came back to him. Dante didn't have to ask. He had suspected that much. "I didn't make it in time. They'd already slit her throat."

 

"Did you know them?" The older hunter's voice showed no emotion.

 

Nero shook his head. He forced back his tears before they could spill over. He didn't mean to cry in front of Dante. It took him a few moments to regain control again.

 

"It was my fault," The younger hunter's eyes couldn't hide his regret. "I should have been there. I should've protected her. I should..."

 

"So you let them capture you," Dante accused him.

 

"It didn't matter. Where should I go? I can't bring her back. I can't follow her."

 

"But you tried. Did you think you deserve to die? That it would be easier to let them kill you?" Dante didn't know what to believe, as Nero shook his head again, snorting with a humorless grin on his lips.

 

"Bullshit. Do you think I'm that stupid? As if they could kill me," Nero answered arrogantly. "I just needed some time to think. That's all." The older hunter could tell that Nero didn't tell him the whole truth. Whatever that might have been. But he was sure to find out what was wrong with the young half demon. Sooner or later.

 

"And you had to think while they tried to execute you? What's the point in that?"

 

"It was easier." Dante waited for an explanation but none came. Easier. Nothing in this kind of situation could have been easy. The kid was bound to freak out after what happened. And now he told the older hunter that all he had wanted to do was sort things out by thinking about it? He couldn't believe it.

 

"Why didn't you run away?"

 

"And have them hunt me like an animal?" Nero shook his head no.

 

"You know you can outrun them. They blame you for killing her, you know that?" He wanted a reaction from the young man. He wanted him to scream, to put up another fight. But nothing came.

 

"They are right. It was my fault." Nero's voice was calm. As if he'd accepted it already.

 

"That's bullshit and you know it. You should have gone. I know you don't care about being hunted by them, you know the feeling and it didn't seem to bother you before. So why now?"

 

"Where should I've gone?" Nero asked again, anger slowly rising. "Huh? Where?"

 

"You could always come to me," Dante offered but didn't anticipate the reaction it caused.

 

"Come to you?" Nero laughed bitterly and spread his arms, taking a step closer to the hunter facing him. "Look at me!" He demanded. "I ripped those bastards to shreds and I don't regret a single thing about it! I ripped them up with my bare hands until you couldn't recognize them anymore! I'm a demon! Of course the first thing that came to my mind was running to you!" It took Dante only a moment to understand what Nero was accusing him of.

 

"I wouldn't have killed you. If that's why I was looking for you, I would've done it already." Sighing, Dante pushed some of his white hair out of his face. It began to stick to his forehead from humidity. "You think you've become a demon? All I see is a stupid, lost kid who was crying about his dead girlfriend a moment ago. You are not a demon. You are just mixed up."

 

Nero stood there dumbfounded, his hands dropping to his sides again, his eyes still wide from his earlier outburst. Composing himself again and getting his guard up, he said: "You know nothing about me."

 

"Well, whatever the reason, kid. You are coming with me. Don't make me drag your sorry ass back all the way to Capulet City."

 

"I'm going nowhere without my weapons." Nero crossed his arms in front of his chest, shifting his weight to the right foot.

 

"Don't worry. I'll get them later. We could have taken them with us, but someone wouldn't listen."

 

"And someone should mind his own business," Nero snapped at him. Finding an old tree to his liking, the ex-knight slumped down to the ground, leaning back against it and crossing his feet. "You sure you'll find your way back? Memory still intact on your old days?"

 

"Just sit here and wait." Taking off his red coat, Dante folded it and put it on the ground, disliking the weather. "Is there something else you need before we leave? You won't come back for a while." Never was more likely but he didn't say it.

 

Nero was lost in his thoughts for a moment then shook his head. "Nothing." He didn't need much to begin with but whatever personal item he took with him would only remind him of what he had lost, holding him back. And holding back didn't seem like something he should do right now.

 

* * *

 

The ride back to Capulet City was awkward to say the least of it. Nero hadn't minded to ride behind Dante on his bike at first. He liked the design and the sound was awesome. But it had been a long ride with both Red Queen and Rebellion on his back because of the lack of space. He felt somewhat tired and sore after the last few days and agitated because of what would await him at his new home. Home. Could he call it that? In fact he had not the slightest idea what would wait for him in Capulet City. He didn't know much about Dante in the first place.

 

The older hunter had tried to talk to Nero a few times at first. Having a brooding young half devil behind him for hours was slightly disturbing. But the younger male didn't say much. He could feel both, Nero's human und demonic arm encircling his upper body and he noticed himself watch every move of the kids Devil Bringer. It was glowing softly and Dante could feel the difference of temperature between the two limbs.

 

The silence between them brought him back to his own inner monologue. He didn't mind taking the kid back with him to the shop. In fact, he didn't mind at all. Dante couldn't deny to have liked the young man since the first time they met and his appearance was quite intriguing. It left suspicion in the hunter but he wouldn't dare to speak them. Not yet.

 

* * *

 

The moment the city came into view awoke the silent young man from his rigor. Never having been outside of Fortuna before, Nero was more than excited.

 

"That Capulet City?" He wanted to know, gripping onto Dante's shoulders to push himself up a little to get a better view.

 

"That's it. Your new home." Dante couldn't help but smile at the now more lively young male behind him.

 

"It's _huge_ ," Nero said. He couldn't wait to be there but Dante's laugh to his words made him pout a bit. He was glad the older hunter couldn't see it though. Pouting was too much of a childish act but he couldn't help but feel like a child again in such moments.

 

As they crossed the city border he sat back down, letting his eyes taking in the lively streets. Dante brought them to the shop, having taken this route more times than he wished to remember, he didn't need to think about it.

 

The neon sign above the shop caught Nero's eye. He found it to be a rather strange name but didn't say anything yet. Getting up from behind Dante, wincing a bit from his stiff muscles, he looked around. Dante came to his feet effortlessly, taking Rebellion back and turned to go inside.

 

"Honey, we are home," Dante greeted, stalking to his desk and flopping down behind it into his chair, kicking up his legs.

 

"So you brought him with you after all," came Trish' reply from the kitchen before she came back and took a look at the young man who seemed a bit lost, wandering around the room, taking everything in with eager eyes. "He looks like a lost puppy."

 

Dante laughed at that and Nero flashed the blond demoness an angry glare. Smiling at him, Trish tilted her head a bit. "I made coffee. Want some?" And Nero couldn't help it but smile back after a moment and nodding in agreement.


	5. Emille Bell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: well, let's be honest, I hate short chapters and with short I mean everything under 1,5k. BUT as my old teacher used to say: If you want to introduce a story to a recipient, make it short and give him the idea of where you want to go. - well, I think you already know where this is heading so ... yeah basically the upcoming chapters will be longer.

 

Thinking back about the last few days made Nero realize two things. First, since he came here, a feeling of being home kept creeping into his conscience and second, living with Dante under the same roof was different than he had imagined.

 

After he arrived he and Trish had a little talk. It was obvious that she was interested in his story but it was also almost immediately clear, that he didn't want to talk about it and she wouldn't pry too deep for him to feel too uncomfortable around her. Dante simply kept to himself, ordering pizza, which Nero and Trish refused to eat. She had other plans for the evening and he had declined out of false modesty, still not quite at ease with his new situation. While eating his delivered meal alone, Dante sat at his desk, not interfering with Trish's curiosity but Nero could tell the older hunter was listening. After they finished their second cup of coffee, Trish called it a night, glad she could leave the office after keeping an eye on business while Dante had been away.

 

Feeling too tired to explore his new surroundings, Nero fell back onto the sofa, sighing. He was already half asleep when playful fingers ruffled his snowy hair. Disturbed in his sleep, the ex-knight growled, sliding further down on the sofa, not willing to open his eyes. A low chuckle from behind made him realize, he wouldn't get rid of Dante so easily. "Seems like your room will have to wait until tomorrow, huh kid?"

 

"Whatever," Nero mumbled. He could worry about that later. Now the only thing he wanted was for Dante to leave him alone until he could catch up on a few needed hours of sleep. The fingers were leaving his hair, taking the hint and he could hear Dante's heavy boots against the wooden floor again, moving away. Into the kitchen, his mind noted, still following the familiar presence around. Well, it was Dante's home after all and the hunter obviously felt at ease here, not disturbed by his new guest. Somehow Nero was glad that there wouldn't be any useless shying around each other to worry about. Maybe getting used to this place would be easier than he had thought. The realization made him drift back into sleep.

 

Someone touching his legs made Nero flinch. His eyes shot open and his hand jerked to his left thigh, gripping Blue Rose. If Dante was worried or surprised to find the double barrel revolver aimed at his head, he didn't let it show. He was kneeling in front of the young man, unlacing Nero's boots and opening buckles.

 

"Fuck, don't do that," Nero sighed, lowering his gun.

 

"What, you want to sleep in them?" came the unfazed reply as Dante pulled the first boot off.

 

"Don't sneak up like that. That's one way to get yourself shot you know?" Slightly uncomfortable with Dante having to take off his boots, Nero pulled his leg up, batting the older male's hands away to do it himself.

 

"Maybe I'm overestimating your reflexes then," Dante teased and came back on his feet, ruffling Nero's hair again. The young man shot him a dark glare, trying to slap the hand on his head away.

 

"I'm not your puppy. Stop that." It was then Nero realized that Dante had an odd mannerism of touching him and he didn't know what to think about it yet.

 

Dante also had noticed it. It was a game, he thought. Having the unfamiliar urge to touch the young half devil, Dante had wondered what it was between the two of them. That was the only answer his mind could accept right now. A game. Pushing Nero's buttons was fun and it seemed like the young man wasn't used to being touched at all.

 

* * *

 

Nero had slept his first night in Capulet City on Dante's sofa after the older hunter had left him alone, vanishing into his own room upstairs. Nero hadn't noticed anything after that, neither the creeping presence of demons hidden in the darkness of the night, lurking around the city's nightlife which he would later often come to notice, nor the stiff ache in his neck from sleeping on the old sofa. The first thing he was aware of later was Dante placing a cup of steaming coffee in front of him on the table. Groaning, Nero had sat up, realizing that he must have had slept until noon, judging from the light outside and the busy street's roaring in the background. "Morning," was the short greeting he offered, while trying to get rid of the pain in his neck.

 

"Still alive, I see." Dante sat at his desk, coffee placed in front of him, looking more rested than his younger guest. He had taken a shower, his hair still damp, left to dry on its own. The outfit Nero was so used to see was gone, leaving the hunter in only black jeans, riding dangerously low on his hips without a belt to hold them in place. Nero noticed himself staring, still not fully awake. Clearing his throat and keeping his eyes wandering around everywhere except on the older male, Nero pulled one knee up to his chest to rest his elbow on top, holding his coffee cup with his Devil Bringer, not bothered by the heat under his claws. He could feel Dante's gaze on him. Wondering if the hunter had caught him staring, Nero pretended to be occupied with his coffee.

 

"We should clear out your new room today. Judging from the look of you, you don't want to spend another night on that sofa, right?" Humming in agreement, Nero leaned back, head falling backwards to look up the stairs.

 

"What's in it?" It was still hard to imagine, what kind of life Dante had. The office was an odd mixture of vintage furniture, empty pizza boxes and weapons mounted on the walls. Nero could tell that they were no ordinary weapons by the feeling he got from just staying in the same room. Some of them had a living soul, radiating demonic power. Nero eyed the hunter's billiard table and the drum set in the corner behind it with curiosity. Both items didn't match up on his idea of a business office.

 

"Heh, a lot of dust, some boxes with research material, old junk I didn't know where else to put. Yeah, I guess that's about it."

 

"So where do we move it then?" Swallowing the last of his coffee, Nero put his cup back onto the table and stood up. If he really was going to clean out a dusty old storage room, his shower would have to wait.

 

"The attic."

 

* * *

 

Nero was no one to complain about hard work, but after carrying the third box stuffed with old books up the narrow staircase, he let out a sigh. Dante was still in his room-to-be, rummaging through stuff, he didn't even remember having. It was mostly up to Nero to carry everything up by himself but he didn't say anything about it. Right now the young man was just glad to have a place to stay and a task to keep his mind busy for a while. In fact, since he came here, Nero hadn't thought about his last days in Fortuna. He dreaded the too fresh memories. "Ha! That's where I put it," Dante's cheerful voice came from downstairs, announcing the same contend with a slightly different line for the third time now. It made Nero roll his eyes. The older half devil was behaving like a little boy, tidying up his room for the first time. Dusting off his hands, the ex-knight went downstairs to finish his task.

 

* * *

 

Groaning, Nero sat down onto the sofa once again. It had taken him nearly two hours to get everything out of the room. After that he had spend another twenty minutes in the shower to get rid of all the dirt, dust and blood on his skin. However, that had led him to his next problem. The state of his clothes was pathetic. His black shirt had bullet holes in it and all of his clothes were stained with blood. Frowning, Nero had left them on the floor, wrapping just a towel around his slender hips before leaving the bathroom.

 

Embarrassment was clearly written on his face as Nero had to ask Dante to lend him something to wear. He ignored the cocky remark from the older hunter and followed him into Dante's bedroom. The most dominant part of the room was clearly the bed. Red silk sheets had been tossed aside carelessly in the morning, creating an image like pooling blood. Next to the window stood an old armchair and resting on it was a curiously looking guitar which made a low sound, as the two hunters entered the room. Dante flashed a brief smile in its direction before browsing through his closet to find something for Nero to wear. Another demon soul in Dante's shop. For a devil hunter, Nero thought, the older male had a lot of them gathered around himself. To be honest, he wanted to know more about them, especially all the weapons.

 

Nero could swear he heard the guitar purring behind him. But before he could ask, Dante tossed him some black pants and a red, sleeveless shirt. "Try that. They should fit you alright." Never gotten rid of most of his old clothes out of some kind of nostalgic feelings and pure laziness, Dante finally had found a new usage for them.

 

"Thanks." Taking the clothes, Nero hurried back into the bathroom. The pants were a bit too long for him but he didn't mind and simply rolled them up so he wouldn't trip.

 

Downstairs again, the young man found Dante back in the office, searching through various bottles. "Want some?" The older hunter took the Whiskey, pouring a glass for himself.

 

"You know what time it is, old man? Don't tell me you are a stupid alcoholic." Smirking, Dante shook his head and sat back down behind his desk, watching Nero. He had to admit the short tempered half-breed looked good in his old outfit and the contrast of pale skin on one side and the powerful demonic arm on the other made him fascinating to watch.

 

Sitting onto the sofa, Nero took pen and paper to make a list of the things he would need, bringing them into order of priority. Thinking about it, it had been a stupid idea to leave Fortuna with nothing but his weapons and the torn clothes he had worn. Clothes, he noticed, would have to come first. But to get them, he would have to earn some money and he wasn't so sure what Dante would say to the idea of a business partner.

 

"You are right-handed," Dante observed. Nero's pale brows knit together in perplexity.

 

"So what?" He didn't understand what Dante was getting at.

 

"Nothing, I guess. I never really thought about it. You use your left hand for Blue Rose and Red Queen and I've seen you preferring your left a lot when you don't fight. But you wield Yamato in your right hand and it seems you use it more often if you don't think about it." Listening, but still not sure why Dante had brought the topic up, Nero let go of the pen, leaning back.

 

"That has nothing to do with it. I was born right-handed. But after getting _this_ , I had to deal with it. I'd rather switch my dominant hand than people looking at me like a freak." Nero flexed his claws without looking at his Devil Bringer. "It's not about thinking, it's about damage control. Rebellion could barely scratch me and you don't want to know how many times I shredded, crumbled, destroyed or simply ripped something apart unintentionally. If I had two normal hands I would say I got cross-dominance by now. It was a pain in the ass to get so far, though."

 

"You should stop hiding it." Although unintended, Dante's sometimes so carefree sounding voice could tick Nero off rather easily.

 

"Yeah, wouldn't that be great? Then what? If people look at us now, they think we are related. Imagine I'd go outside like this, they could call me your demon pet. Fan-fucking-tastic..." Crossing his right ankle over his left knee, Nero leaned back, glaring at the older hunter. "Have you lost your fucking mind, old man?"

 

"Listen." Putting his glass aside, Dante came to the sofa. He could tell Nero would try to rip his head off if he dared to tease him right now and as fun it was to push the young man's buttons, it wasn't what Nero needed right now. The young man needed to loosen up a bit. Well, that was an understatement. In Dante's opinion, Nero was too tense most of the time, making his own life more complicated than it had to be. Instead of sitting right next to the ex-knight, Dante sat down on the coffee table in front of Nero, moving the wooden furniture back to have enough space between them. "I know that doesn't sound like me - hell, yeah it sounds like something my brother would have said but - you should be proud of who you are."

 

"Easy for you to say", the young man snarled and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

 

"C'mon, kid. Don't tell me there wasn't a single moment you were glad to have such power. I've seen you fight and besides being the ungrateful punk you are, you enjoy it." Leaning slightly forward, Dante took hold of Nero's right wrist, pulling it between them, facing the palm of the Devil Bringer upwards.

 

"Let go." The ex-knight tried to escape the grip, but Dante didn't let him.

 

"You feel that?" He ran the tip of his index finger over the blue demon skin, starting at Nero's wrist, up to his claws. The Devil Bringer twitched in his hand.

 

"Of course I do. What are you doing?" The ex-knight didn't even try to hide the confusion in his voice by now. It mixed with his anger, a state of mind he became accustomed to in Dante's presence.

 

"You seem pretty sensitive here," Dante noticed. He took his thumb nail and dug it into the blue skin of Nero's palm, applying as much pressure as he could. "Does it hurt?" Nero didn't like the look of pure curiosity in Dante's eyes. It made him feel like being just a toy for older hunter.

 

"No. It doesn't hurt. But I can feel the pressure."

 

"Close your eyes," Dante said, looking into Nero's blue orbs.

 

"Hell, no!" The young man started to pull again. "You stupid old pervert. Let go!"

 

"I won't hurt you," Dante promised, his pale icy eyes not leaving Nero's. "Nero." There was an edge to his name that ran a shiver down the ex-knight's spine. Gritting his teeth, Nero held still, staring at Dante as if the hunter had lost his mind but when the older male didn't move the young half-breed complied after what seemed like minutes of getting lost in pale unblinking eyes to him.

 

"You better have a good reason for this," he hissed, eyes closed. There was no answer and Nero felt like the sensitivity in his hand grew more and more, his whole attention directed at his devil arm. It was like a flash of electricity and Nero had the sudden feeling of getting burned as something soft was touching his palm, skin suddenly oversensitive to temperature difference. He sucked his breath in with a hissing sound, too harsh for the silence between them. Something wet and warm was moving from the center of his palm in between his index and middle finger and Nero realized that Dante was licking his hand. The hunters tongue trailed between his claws and Nero couldn't help himself but spread them further apart. The sensation was unlike anything he could remember. Not being used to someone touching his Devil Bringer like that, the young man had a hard time to hold still. His teeth bit down on his bottom lip, hard. Tongue trailing up to the tip of the claw, Dante closed his lips around Nero's index Finger, eyes still watching the ex-knight's face as light blue eyes shot finally open. Gently biting down, Dante held Nero's finger between his teeth, grinning devilishly. He gave the coarse skin a final lick and let go, hands placed behind himself on the coffee table.

 

The look on Nero's face was priceless. He could see shock and puzzlement in those wide eyes but it didn't take long for the anger to surface. Gritting his teeth, and rigid as being about to pounce the hunter in front of him, Nero growled in the back of his throat.

 

"It didn't hurt, hm?" That was all it took for Nero to lose it. Leaning back to dodge the young man's strike, Dante brought up his knee and pressed it against the ex-knight's chest to hold him back, smirking. "Hey, hey." His bare foot connected with Nero's stomach and shoved him back onto the sofa, pinning him into place. "Didn't like that, huh? My bad."

 

* * *

 

"What's with the gloomy face?" Cracking one eye open but otherwise not moving at all from his favorite spot behind his desk, Dante watched Lady approach him. "I heard the news from Trish. What happened? Did you scare him away or why are you alone?"

 

"Yep, I scared him and now he is hiding upstairs. Did you come to visit the zoo?" After the little incident earlier, Nero had stormed upstairs and didn't come down again afterwards. That had been two hours ago. Dante hadn't taken the young half devil for being so resentful.

 

"Hmm? Thought you of all people would be good with kids." She let her eyes scan the room for any signs of change since the shop's new occupant had arrived. Besides an addition to the swords collection, she could find none.

 

"Yeah right," Dante laughed. "What made you think that?" He closed his eyes again. "You need something from me by the way? Can't believe this is just a social visit."

 

"I got a job for you. Nothing too thrilling, but they pay. It's been a while since the last time you went hunting, isn't it?" Her heterochromic eyes fell on the list Nero had been writing earlier. She picked it up to read the few lines. Lady could tell the young man had been interrupted by the way the last word hadn't been written out, her mind instantly accusing Dante to be the cause.

 

"And if I tell you, that my lack of motivation derived from someone who takes all the money from my hard work, what would you say?" She had little sympathy for his whining.

 

"Don't confuse me with someone who cares, Dante. You got a dept to pay. – Now, here is the address of your new client. Don't let him wait too long or the marionettes will kill him." She gave him a piece of paper and went upstairs, ignoring the groaning and cursing behind her.

 

The short knock on the door received nary an acknowledgement. Opening the door nevertheless, Lady found the room empty. The open window gave her an idea where the young man had been gone. Leaning outside, she looked up and saw two feet dangling from the roof. "Nero!" Hearing his name being called by a female voice that didn't belong to Trish, Nero bend forward to see who was searching for him.

 

"Hi," he greeted.

 

"I'm Lady. Nice to meet you." The young man looked exactly how Trish had described him. She had been curious when her best friend had told her that Dante had brought the infamous half devil from Fortuna back with him. In fact she had been curious since she had learned that Dante had left his brother's sword Yamato in Nero's care.

 

"Uhm, yeah. Nice to meet you too." Not really sure what to think about the situation, Nero decided that it was up to him to come down since he didn't expect the young woman to climb up onto the roof. Little did he know of her back then. "Uhm, I'll see you downstairs I guess." He waited for her to leave the window so she wouldn't watch him. He had learned that most people freaked out when they saw him jump down a building and Nero didn't want to scare her when they'd just met. His feet connected heavily with the concrete, his knees bending to absorb the impact. It wasn't high enough to suffer any breaks in his bones, not for him at least. He had experienced that already. It had been an involuntarily fall off a cliff some time ago. The impact on the rocky surface below had shattered the bones in both of his legs. The pain had been mind numbing but Nero had been amazed at how fast his bones had healed again. It had been almost scary.

 

He met Lady in the office, leaning against the wall, watching him. Shoving his hands into his pockets and turning half a step to the right to escape the piercing gaze fixed on his Devil Bringer, he left it up to her to speak first.

 

"How do you like it here?" With Dante, her mind added but she didn't voice that thought. He shrugged, his weight shifting to one leg. She couldn't tell if it was her appearance that made him nervous or if he felt uneasy around people generally.

 

"I didn't have a chance take a look around. The city seems nice though." For someone growing up on a small island Capulet City must be exciting but Lady couldn't help but guess his enthusiasm would fade with time.

 

"It doesn't get boring at least. Say, what about going out and getting something to eat? You'll spend more time in Dante's dump than you'll like to. He will be gone for while anyway."

 

"I saw him leave. Where did he go?" It had made Nero worry to watch the older hunter leave without a word after their last encounter.

 

"To get a job done, hopefully. If not, Love Planet would be my second guess."

 

"Love Planet?" She flashed him a smile. The sweet innocence made him somewhat cute.

 

"A strip club, sweetie."

 

"Figures." Nero let out a sigh. He could imagine Dante right now having fun at a strip club.

 

"C'mon, let's get something to eat. Let me guess. He didn't give you anything yet, hm? Or maybe pizza. – Let me warn you. You won't get anything else here. It's kind of his fetish or something." He got the feeling that Lady did know Dante for a long time. Shrugging again, he looked out of the window.

 

"Yeah, well… Pizza delivery is fine by me. You know?" He held his Devil Bringer in front of him for a moment for her to see before he let the claws rake through his hair.

 

"What? You think with a hot babe like me by your side anyone will notice?" She laughed and gave him a nod towards the door. "Come on, let's get you some clothes. As you can see, I know my way around when it comes to shopping. – Ah a new bed would be nice, huh? And what was that again? Music, right?" He watched her take out a folded piece of paper that looked quite familiar. Snoopy woman had read his list.

 

"I got no money."

 

"Don't worry about it. I'll add it to Dante's debt."

 

* * *

 

Shopping with Lady was something to behold of. It didn't take her long to find him a store that fit his style. New jeans, some hoodies and t-shirts found their way into his hands faster than he imagined. But it was a black coat that caught his eyes and if you could fall in love with clothes, Nero did that moment. The style was close to his old one he had left in Fortuna but the fabric and designs on it were different. On the sleeves where the order's crest on his old cloak had been, two crossed guns that reminded him a bit of ebony and ivory were embroidered with dark thread. Some tribal designs like wings spread across the back. He knew he had to have it but it was something he wanted to buy with his own money. Nero just hoped, it would be still here when he'd come back.

 

They spend the afternoon together driving around the city, giving Nero a chance to get to know his new surroundings and he was glad Lady took the time for him. Done with shopping and satisfied after eating at a Chinese restaurant, she offered to take him back to the shop but Nero refused. He wanted to walk around some more. The way back wasn't far anyway. So he thanked her and was on his way, sure they would meet again soon enough.

 

Capulet City was really something. He had never seen so many people in one place and he was sure it needed some getting used to. What shocked him most was the presence of demons everywhere in the city. He could feel them and he was sure, some of them noticed him, keeping their distance. No wonder this place could occupy three demon slayers already. Four soon if it was up to him.

 

Something got his attention as he came across a small alley. It was a sound. He turned around to find the cause. The ex-knight couldn't see anything but his ears let him know, he was being followed.

 

It was a sound like a bell chiming. He looked around but couldn't detect any presence nearby. Cursing under his breath, Nero flexed the claws on his right hand. There it was again, just a sound, nothing more. The young man didn't waste another chance, using his Devil Bringer to leash out in the direction of the sound. First he couldn't see anything but the feeling of demonic power showed him the betrayal of his own eyes. Claws digging into whatever he had captured caused a fierce hiss and two golden cat eyes stared at him from the dark. Trying to escape, the demon began to twist under his claws. Nero was holding the black creature by the neck, picking it up. "A cat?" he wondered out loud. Indeed it appeared to be a black cat, trying to scratch his way out of its miserable situation. But those animal claws couldn't penetrate Nero's demon skin, leaving him utterly unaffected. The half-breed caught a flash of shining metal between his demonic fingers. Taking a closer look at the black animal, Nero saw a little bell on the collar. Curious he reached for it and the cat in his grip stopped moving. It was starring into the young hunter's blue eyes, with an intensity, that caused Nero to doubt that it was a just an ordinary animal before him. As his human fingers closed around the bell, the cat vanished, leaving just black smoke in between the Devil Bringer's claws.

 

"What the…" Nero took a step back, turning around but couldn't find the creature anymore. Still feeling the bell in his hand, he took a closer look in the scarce light. Bronze with delicate runes etched into the surface. He couldn't read them and they didn't look like anything he'd ever seen before. Then again, he never had the chance to look into these things. The Order had records of demonic research without doubt. But Nero had never been more than a simple knight, not allowed to these kind of studies. He had tried though. Back then, after joining the knights, he wanted to know more about his demonic arm. But his efforts had been in vain.

 

Maybe Dante had an idea where this bell came from. It was of demonic nature without a doubt. Nero could feel it. It was like pulsing energy in his hand. It felt strange. While musing over the bronze item, Nero made his way back to the shop.

 

* * *

 

Still out to finish whatever job the hunter had, the shop was abandoned as Nero came back. Once more he wished Dante had asked him to come along. He needed the exercise and waiting patiently had never been Nero's strength. Sighing, the ex-knight sat down on Dante's desk. He reached into his pocket and took another closer look at the small item. The demonic power felt strange, unlike any kind he had experienced before. He searched his mind for a fitting description. Sad was the only thing that came to his mind. Giving the bell a little shake, the sound was dull, muffled from his fingers gripping the surface. Using only the tip of his claw from his right index finger Nero tried again. The sound left a tingling feeling in his Devil Bringer. Intrigued he tried again, stronger this time and the tingling went up from his claw to his elbow. He somehow liked the feeling. It was like his demonic arm was resonating to the sound. Closing his hand around the bell, Nero lay back on top of the desk, swinging his crossed legs back and forth, resting his head on his left arm.

 

Waking from the shiver in his right arm, Nero sat back up, startled. He didn't remember falling asleep on the desk, in fact he didn't remember anything for a moment. He felt like being stunned by his own mind, like it dragged him down back into the oblivious world of slumber. Afterimages of what must have been a dream flashed before his inner eye. His right hand tightened into a fist but he felt no resistance. The bell was gone. Did he drop it in his sleep? He bent forward to look under the desk as he felt hot tears stinging in his eyes. "What the hell..." Reaching up he wiped his cheeks, searching his own feelings for the cause of this behavior. But he came up with nothing. It was just a dull ache inside him. Confused he let his eyes wander again, looking for the small item. It was then that he registered that he didn't lose it to begin with. He could feel it. It was the same feeling that had sent the shiver up his Devil Bringer. Concentrating on it, he felt it intensifying. Once again puzzled by the strange ability of his Bringer to absorb demonic power, he sat there unmoving for a moment, trying to sort his disordered feelings out.

 

That was the moment Dante had chosen to return to the shop. Double doors giving way to brute force, swinging open and crashing into the walls, Dante stalked into the office, Rebellion on his back, head turned to look over his shoulder as he screamed random insults back. Nero could hear a motorcycle gaining distance, most likely Lady. A wide grin tearing at his lips, Dante turned his head, starting to say something about ordering pizza but he didn't finish. Instead, the grin was wiped from his face and it took him only three long strides to cover the distance between him and the young man still sitting on the desk.

 

"Kid? What's wrong? What happened?" His icy blue eyes were searching Nero for anything indicating he had been injured. Nero was staring at his Devil Bringer with an intensity, Dante couldn't quite place.

 

"What are you talking-" the ex-knight began to say but then he understood. Wiping tears away hastily from his cheeks, he young man felt slightly embarrassed. "It's nothing," Nero assured the older hunter. "It's not what it looks like," he tried to clarify his first statement. It was beginning to creep him out and he didn't want to deal with Dante right now, still trying to find answers himself.

 

"Not what it looks like? Why are you crying?" Dante put a hand on the ex-knight's shoulder as the young man tried to get up to flee from the office. "Wait."

 

"I'm not crying, goddammit!" Nero could feel his tears stop running freely from his now reddened eyes. "Fuck." Lowering his head to escape Dante's searching gaze, the younger male felt himself blushing. He sat in front of the older devil hunter, crying like a little boy and he had no explanation for him. "Must have been the dream," was the only thing he came up with.

 

"Dream?" Dante put both hands beside Nero on the desk and bent down a bit so he was eyelevel again with the ex-knight. The young man looked embarrassed, a bit confused, but not sad at all.

 

"Yeah. I got this strange bell from a cat-demon and after it got into my arm I had a dream and..." Noticing he was just rambling without making any sense, Nero stopped. Having Dante in front of him, too close to his liking, made him feel nervous. Lifting his head again and sliding off the desk, he tried to get some space. But Dante wouldn't be who he was if that would force him to take a step back so easily. Now trapping Nero between himself and the desk, the older hunter raised a light brow questionably and waited. "Back off," Nero growled.

 

"Make me," Dante dared him. Not waiting for another invitation, Nero hauled out his Devil Bringer, aiming for Dante's head. Never reaching his target, even though they were standing so close to each other, the younger hunter's wrist was grabbed by the older male in a swift motion and his demonic arm twisted behind his back, causing Nero to hiss out in pain.

 

"Let go, asshole!" Nero could swear Dante held him like this just to rub it in before he took a step back and let go of the ex-knight, still grinning.

 

"Well, I guess you have some explaining to do, kid." Turning around and placing Rebellion at his usual spot near the desk, Dante sighed as he heard Nero bolt up the stairs into his room, slamming the door shut like an angry little teenager. The story would have to wait.

 

* * *

 

The pizza had arrived and had been eaten half an hour ago. Dante let his head fall back to look upstairs but the view wouldn't change. Door closed, Nero hid inside his room but the older half devil could hear him pacing inside. Something was wrong with the kid and Dante wasn't so sure anymore if he should just wait for the young man to open his mouth. Sighing defeated, Dante gave up his preferred observation post on the sofa and went upstairs.

 

A soft knock on his door snapped Nero out of his thoughts. "Go away," he called, unwilling to face Dante right now.

 

"Kid, let's talk for a moment." Without waiting for an invitation that wouldn't come so soon, Dante opened the door and stepped inside.

 

"Ever heard of privacy, old man?"

 

"My roof, my rules. Take it or leave it." Leaning against the wall next to the door, Dante crossed his arms, looking the half devil in front of him over. Nero seemed worried even though he tried to hide it behind anger. "Tell me what happened today."

 

"Why?" Why what? Why did he care? Why did he want to know? There were too many reasons for Dante to name and he wasn't so sure Nero would like to hear all of them.

 

"Just do it. I know you want to." The younger male felt the urge to shut the man in front of him up. He had never beaten the older hunter. Not really. On their first encounter in Fortuna he hadn't know that Dante was just playing around with him, mocking him, testing him. Now he knew. And it pissed him off.

 

"Want to, huh? You know what I want?" He came closer, too close even for Dante to dodge, human hand trailing up the side of Dante's face, running through white hair, taking hold of it. The expression on Dante's face remained calm, his eyes watching Nero, fixed on the young man's face. Nero hated that nothing seemed to unnerve the hunter in front of him. He wanted to change that. His Devil Bringer clasped around the pale throat and he felt a rush of satisfaction as he saw icy eyes widen to the feeling of increasing pressure. "To shut you up", he growled.

 

Steady breaths became stagnant, only allowed to pass the vulnerable body part when pressure was decreased for a short moment, not long enough to feel comfortable, not short enough to panic. "Nero." His name sounded forced in his ears but Dante didn't move from his place, didn't even try to get free. The sound made Nero's claws twitch. "Let go." He had to choke the words out now, the grip too tight to allow him any oxygen. Nero on the other hand was breathing hard as if to compensate for the lack in the older males lungs.

 

"I said shut up." He was leaning all his weight against Dante but it didn't seem enough. There was no fear in those pale eyes, no anger and no sign of a nearing Devil Trigger. "Why?" He screamed. "You think I won't do it?"

 

His vision started to blur and blood was roaring in his ears but Dante could still hear Nero's voice. It was the voice of a confused young man that reminded him of distant memories. Did he think Nero would kill him? No. Could it get ugly if the kid didn't snap out of his rage soon? Definitely. He would have laughed at the situation he was in if he had the air to do so. But for now, Dante just waited. – Or so he thought. His intent was wiped from his mind as he felt Nero's Devil Bringer pulse around his neck. It wasn't muscle contraction, it was just energy. Dante felt his eyes going wide as it hit him. It felt like pure emotion forcing its way into him. His own feelings forgotten, all he sensed was sadness, leaving him defenseless.

 

The sound of a chiming bell and the familiar tingling feeling in his right arm made Nero flinch. He didn't know how or why but he was sure that he summoned the power of the demonic bell he had found earlier. He could feel the force of it directed at the man in front of him even though he didn't intent to use it. He didn't know what that would do to the hunter but he couldn't stop it. His Devil Bringer was slowly letting go of the bruised throat but it was too late. Choking breaths turned into painful coughs but what shocked the young man were the tears falling from wide, unseeing eyes. "Dante?" His human hand let go of the soft locks, cupping the wet cheek. The coughing stopped but the hunter didn't react to his name, still not moving. "Snap out of it! Hey old man! C'mon!" Unsure what to do, Nero shook the older half devil on his shoulders, calling his name again. The sight of him crying like that was unnerving.

 

Maybe a minute had passed as silent tears ran dry and pale eyes fixed onto the nervous young man again. "Dante?"

 

"Now you really have some explaining to do," the older hunter snarled and Nero knew he was right about that.

 

Sitting on the new bed, a courtesy of Lady no doubt, Dante waited for the fidgeting ex-knight to join him.

 

"Did some demon hunting yourself this afternoon, I take it." That much he knew from what Nero had said earlier.

 

"It was…" Nero seemed to think about it. "A coincidence. I ran into this demon, a cat. It vanished and left a bell behind."

 

"What kind of bell?" Cat demons were crawling through every big city these days, that didn't explain anything.

 

"A small one, made of bronze or something. It had demonic runes written on it but I couldn't read them. I brought it back with me but I guess, my Devil Bringer absorbed it." Scratching his nose in an awkward gesture, Nero faced the older hunter again.

 

"You guess? What happened?"

 

"I didn't see it happen. I was asleep. When I woke up, it had vanished but I could feel it inside my arm." The ex-knight held up his Devil Bringer.

 

"Well, summon it then." Dante had seen Nero do it with Yamato. He figured it should work the same with every demonic item the kid's demonic arm took hold of.

 

"I tried. It doesn't work." Sighing, Nero put his hands in his pockets. "Anyway, when it happened, I had a dream. Well, more like some images or something. I saw a girl in a desert, crying. The sound of it was…" Once again, Nero was lost in his thoughts as he felt unable to describe it.

 

"So that's when I found you earlier," Dante concluded. He had an idea why the young man had started to cry all of the sudden. Being the victim of this demonic item was a strange experience. Nodding, Nero looked out of the window.

 

"I didn't mean to use it on you, though."

 

"Yeah, I could tell you had other things in mind. Never thought you were into this kinky stuff, kid."

 

"Shut up."

 

"You wish. Anyway, I'll let Trish look into it. She likes stuff like that."

 

* * *

 

"It's a demonic item that was created over a thousand years ago. From what I heard, a monk created it but his reasons are unknown. The story goes that a king gave order to manufacture a new bell for his temple. But the bell produced no sound when struck. Even after recasting it, the result didn't change. Over the years, many artisans tried to create the perfect bell but it was a soothsayer who told the new king that he needed a human sacrifice to complete the bell. In the end they took a girl, a poor infant and threw her into the furnace. The bell turned out to be indeed perfect but the monk who found the girl had plans of his own. He used some of the molten metal to create his own bell. A small one, most likely the one you saw earlier. It's said it has the power to stun every human being with deepest sadness. From what Dante told me, it seems to work."

 

The two half devils had listened to the story Trish had told them and were now looking at each other.

 

"But how did it get here and what about the cat?" Nero felt a shiver run down his spine as he thought about the girl from his dream. He couldn't understand how someone could have murdered her in such a cruel way.

 

"Who knows? Since Temen-ni-gru this city seems to be a place for demons of many kinds to gather. If anything, it made our job a lot easier if you ask me. As for the cat, cat demons are often vicious little beasts but don't posses much power. Most people don't even recognize them as demons. A powerful item like the Emille Bell could easily posses a lesser demon. Items like that need an owner to show their true potential." Trish smiled as she saw Nero look disgusted at his Devil Bringer.

 

"You think this thing wanted to posses me? What the hell?"

 

"Well boys, if anything else comes up, give me a call." She winked at Dante playfully and left the two half demons alone.

 

"You heard her, kid. By the way, don't use that thing on me again. It's creepy."

 

"Yeah, I know. I don't like it either." With that, Nero thought it time to call it a night and went to his room. Sitting down on his bed, still the only piece of furniture in his room, he leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes and listened. He didn't need to wait for long until a low voice whispered into his mind. Power, more power… Staring at the ceiling he sighed. Still not enough. When would it be enough?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Have you ever heard of the legend of The Divine Bell of King Seongdeok? It's a national treasure of Korea. The story goes that King Gyeongdeok wanted to honor his deceased father, King Seongdeok. However, the project was too great to be finished in time and King Gyeongdeok passed away, leaving the bell unfinished. After 34 years his son King Hyegong finished it in the year 771. The legend claims, that a fortuneteller advised the king, that a child had to be sacrificed in order to complete the bell. Hearing this, a monk remembered a woman who had been too poor to contribute any bronze for the casting but had offered to let her young daughter go with the monk instead. The king ordered the girl to be sacrificed and she was thrown into the molten bronze alive. It is said the finished bell had a divine sound. If you like those kind of stories, look into it. The Bell of King Seongdeokis currently stored in the National Museum of Gyeongju.


	6. Not what he expected...

The next morning Dante concluded that Nero was not a morning person. He himself didn't get up before ten unless something urgent was on the agenda but Nero outdid him easily by an hour until a grumbling, messy haired half devil made his appearance at the office. The young man shot Dante a warning glare before the hunter could offer him his first taunting comment, initiating their daily game of provocation. The way Nero scuffled his way into the kitchen made clear that the young man wasn't up to anything until he had his first cup of coffee. Anyone ignoring that would risk a not-so-friendly greeting from his Devil Bringer.

 

"What do you want for breakfast?" Dante called after he heard the sound of opened cupboards and a mug being put onto the kitchen counter. The reply came short and gruff.

 

"Why?" More sounds. The refrigerator being opened and closed again shortly after that.

 

"Because, kid, if you're not into cold pizza and black coffee, you won't find anything. So tell me in case one of us goes grocery shopping." The way Dante phrased it made Nero wonder if he would be the one doing the shopping most of the time. The poorly stocked refrigerator was some kind of indicator.

 

"Not hungry." Coffee in hand, he came back into the main room, sitting down onto the sofa a safe distance from Dante at his desk. He was in no mood for any kind of physical games right now.

 

"That won't do. Boys your age need breakfast to grow up. May also improve your mood swings." Funny, Nero thought. He was so damn funny he could barely compose himself from laughing. That and using his right arm to smash Dante face first onto his desk. Yet he did no such thing and just took a sip of his coffee, deciding that he would head out later to grab something to eat. – Or so he thought until he came to realize that he still had to face his money problems. Cursing under his breath, Nero emptied his mug, swallowing the hot, black liquid, wincing at the burn in his throat, but it healed almost instantly. A shower was the next thing on his list. On his way up the staircase he could hear Dante calling again. "Nero, when you are finished, let's head out. We got a job and you look like you could use the distraction."

 

"'kay," was all he said but hearing that, Nero could feel the corners of his mouth twitch into a smile and his steps getting wider in anticipation.

 

Dante heard the bathroom door closing behind his new roommate. Nero really had to cheer up more. But the hunter knew that wouldn't happen until the young man started to face his problems. And he would, Dante would make sure of it. Nero was still running away from them but that was okay. Sometimes you need to gain some distance to sort things out.

 

* * *

 

"So where are we going?" Nero reached for Red Queen but Dante's reply stopped him.

 

"Breakfast. We still got some time. I said I would meet the client in the evening to discuss his little hellhound problem."

 

"Someone needs to make Fido heel?" Nothing too exiting in Nero's opinion but it was better than nothing. "So, you let me come with you?"

 

"Sure thing. You got to earn your part if you want to stay, right?" Technically, Nero never came to stay, let alone on his own accord but since he came here, Dante hadn't heard a single word from the young man indicating his intent to leave.

 

They made their way into some busier parts of Capulet. The residential area of the city had come back to life with time, adapting to the destruction Temen-ni-gru had caused years ago. The area closest to the dreadful tower was still uninhabited, laying in ruins only a few dared to wander but the rest of the city coped with it almost like a living being, healing, growing, adapting.

 

Nero decided on a small coffee shop for breakfast, choosing a seat in the corner, right side facing the wall, himself hidden by Dante sitting across from him but the same time being able to watch the shop and most important, the people in it. Precaution or distrust, Dante wondered. Most likely both.

 

Lingering was not Nero's nature, he observed. As soon as the young man had finished his meal, he pushed his chair back to stand up, waiting for Dante to follow his example. The older male eyed him for a moment but decided not to comment on Nero's behavior. He would watch the ex-knight for while, estimating how Nero had learned to deal with his daily life, interacting with his surroundings.

 

Something to cheer the young man up was in order. Letting his eyes wander along the busy street, Dante spotted a man, standing behind one of those vintage carts, selling ice cream. He gave the gloomy ex-knight a light shove with his elbow to get his attention. "Want some? Or do you dislike sweet things? I can't tell for sure." He already steered them across the street.

 

"Who doesn't like ice cream?" Nero answered with a shrug. Granted, it was a bit early for ice cream but being someone who slept way into the day if not disturbed, he didn't care too much about those things.

 

"Glad to hear that," came the reply and Nero could feel a hand sneaking up his back in a, one could think, friendly motion but he knew better. Physical contact from the older hunter was always part of the game and Dante seemed to have decided to resume it. Soon enough those fingers, slightly cooler than the skin at his neck got a hold on the lowest snowy locks and gave them a gentle pull before sneaking away as sudden as they had come. Shoving his hands deeper into his jeans' pockets, Nero pulled up his shoulders as a light shiver run down his spine. He let out a low growl, just loud enough for Dante to hear. The older male just grinned at his reaction, apparently pleased. Not waiting for any kind of insult flying his way, Dante ordered their ice cream; Strawberry for himself and after eying his companion, who didn't say anything with a strange look, vanilla for Nero. Ice in hand, they were on their way again.

 

"Something you'd rather have?"

 

"It's fine," Nero said, licking his slowly melting ice.

 

"I thought lemon suited you better, but they didn't have it." Nero just rolled his eyes snorting. He bit back a comment regarding Dante's choice, just barely. Getting into this kind of conversation could take all day and had the risk of ending with bloodshed unclear on which side.

 

The older hunter was a bit disappointed to get no reply to his teasing. Watching the young man like that from the corner of his eyes caused Dante to imagine what he could do with that talented tongue, licking sweet ice cream. Indulging his fantasies for a moment, he came to the conclusion that he had been seriously sex-deprived to let his mind wander so far. I was time to change that - fast. Or he would have to fear the consequences.

 

* * *

 

Nero wasn't surprise to see how unconventional Dante spoke with his so called client. The man for the matter feared for his life and could not appreciate the hunter's kind of humor. Not that the slayer would care. Nero rolled his eyes as Dante agreed to take care of the demons with a joke. He gave the man one last look and followed the older half devil outside.

 

"So kid, this is your chance. Show me you can take care of the puppies and you got yourself a job. How does that sound?" In fact Dante knew too well that Nero would have no trouble to take care of some lesser demons and even if he did, we wouldn't reject the young man or chase him off. But Nero seemed eager to get something to hunt again and it would give the older slayer an opportunity to watch him.

 

"Not much of a challenge, don't you think?" Nero looked around for any bystanders but could spot none. They made their way down the small alley, their ears picking up the sound of three hellhounds.

 

"Well, what makes you think the job is exciting? We have to deal with the same annoying devils all the time. You take what you get, right?"

 

"Yeah, right." Shrugging, Nero stepped forward as they cornered the pack of demons. "This won't take long," he assured Dante, rolling up his right sleeve. With Red Queen in hand, he charged at the first hellhound, slicing its head off, before it could utter as much as a bark. The severed head didn't even touch the ground before the second beast fell prey to the young man's Devil Bringer, yelping. The blue glowing claws drug mercilessly into the thick hide, which didn't offer any resistance. Blood dripped from puncture wounds as the hunter forced his prey into mid air before smashing it back into the ground, burying the third hellhound underneath and ripping the canine devil's throat partially out in the process. It stayed down, barely twitching as blood pooled on the ground beneath which gave Red Queen the opportunity to finish the job with a last stab, impaling the third demon the same time before it could get back on its feet.

 

Splattering blood from his blade onto the near wall with a swift swing, Nero turned around again, shouldering Red Queen and rubbing his nose with the back of his hand to avoid getting blood on his face which was still staining his claws. "Anything else?"

 

Dante had watched the young man's work with an impassive expression on his face. The three lesser demons stood no chance to begin with but it had taken Nero less than a minute to finish the job and he had done it relentlessly. "Not bad," he acknowledged the ex-knight's work. "Let's go back. You got your first payment to collect."

 

The young man had no problem receiving his money. It may have had something to do with the sword he still balanced on his shoulder or the blood smeared right hand that the ex-knight tried to keep out of sight. But with the low blue glow to it and the shape that didn't look human in any way it was hard to ignore it.

 

* * *

 

"So I can keep it?" Nero counted the bills in his hand, keeping in step with Dante as they made their way back to the shop.

 

"Sure. You know the good thing about having a business partner who has no debt to repay is, we get to actually keep the money we earn." A little detail Dante had came up with as the last job had come in. "Remember to pay your share of the rent and food and have fun with the rest of it."

 

"Deal." Handing half of his money to Dante, Nero stuffed the rest of the bills into his pocket.

 

"Nice doing business with you, kid." It would be fun to see how Lady would try to get her share of that. Grinning, Dante put his arm around Nero's shoulders, giving the young man a curt hug that made him stumble a step. "Hey I got an idea, why don't you take the next few job offers? Ya know? I bet you could use the money to get settled in, right?"

 

"You serious?"

 

"Dead serious," Dante nodded.

 

"Thanks, I guess. I appreciate it."

 

Watching the young ex-knight fight had inevitably stirred the devil within Dante. His darker side desired the young man beyond doubt but Dante was not ready to give in to it so easily. The reasons for his desire were obvious. Nero was the only half devil in his reach, the similarities to himself and his twin brother could not be dismissed and even without them, the ex-knight was drop dead gorgeous. That and Nero's skill as a hunter, his personality that would switch in an instant between introverted musing to short tempered and outgoing would guarantee that the young man would never become insipidly. But Dante knew, his devil side had no noble intentions towards the other half-breed. There would be no romantic acting, no courtship and definitely no time to develop any kind of deeper feelings on either side. The only thing worth pursuit would be mating; rough, heated sex. Claiming and possessing. But Nero could not be possessed. Dante knew the young man would fight him fiercely, never submitting - not without being broken. So he kept his inner devil in check, seeking release in different places.

 

Love Planet never closed its doors. Not to him at least. They loved him dearly there. Every girl and even some men looked up when Dante went by, offering themselves willingly to him and he didn't reject them. To him, they were fleeting faces, merely substitutes now that his devil side acted up to him. But he accepted them, all of them.

 

* * *

 

Nero lay on the old sofa in the office, an old book he had found upstairs in hand, reading about old legends, one more gruesome than the other. Some made him utter sounds of pure disgust as he read them, some made the hair at his neck raise and send shivers down his spine. There couldn't be a current novel more capturing than this. His mind snapped back to present, away from annihilated cities and wiped out swaths of land, as wooden double doors were kicked open by an infamous devil hunter with two gorgeous women clinging to his neck, giggling. He made silly purring sounds, acting all coy as he escorted them both up the stairs, closing the door to his bedroom as he had done for the last few days. And Nero knew what would happen, there was no way to ignore it. The first time, he hadn't expected it as Dante came home late, smelling, yes smelling of sex and following a young woman upstairs, who had been calling his name. Nero knew his sense of smell was enhanced by his demon blood but he had to wonder if normal people could pick up that kind of smell too.

 

The ex-knight had stared after them, unsure what he should do in a situation like that. The young woman wasn't introduced to him and he didn't mind, in fact, he didn't want to know but she definitely knew Dante's name, screaming it loudly only a few minutes after they had vanished into the bedroom. Nero had felt a deep blush creeping into his cheeks. It had taken him merely a few moments to grab his gun and leaving the office in an attempt to give the two of them some privacy.

 

But girls changed every day, changed in age, appearance and even gender until Nero had to wonder what kind of life Dante had. And the worst thing was nothing between them changed on the outside. When they were alone again, Dante behaved like he had before, playing games, joking around, never talking about what happened behind closed doors. But something did change.

 

Rolling his eyes wearily, Nero got up from the sofa, book closing with a snap. There had been no jobs in the last few days. In fact, there hadn't been any after the one Dante had used to test his skills. But Nero had been hoping for that to change, hoping for the old telephone on the desk to ring. But it never did. Instead Nero caught himself running again, fleeing from the office for a few hours. If living with Dante meant watching the man whore around and playing roommate the rest of the time with nothing else to do, Nero doubted he could take it much longer.

 

He had been wandering around Capulet City, something he had done a lot lately until he decided it would be safe to get back to the office soon. On his way back he decided to get the grocery shopping done, something that, like he had expected, was mostly up to him if he wanted something besides pizza to eat. And since he preferred tomato juice over canned beer and Whiskey, Nero would have to take care of that too.

 

* * *

 

Dante was laying on his rumpled bed, hands crossed in his neck, musing over the situation that had developed itself around him lately, as angry sounds came through his door. He could hear heavy boots on hard wood floor, and Nero's voice that sounded like the young man was cursing. Something crashing to the floor made Dante wince a little. The ex-knight was definitely in a rotten mood. Steps leading up the stairs and finally a slamming door indicated the end of Nero's journey, wherever it had started. A strangled sound like a suppressed angry scream made it through the wall and the noise of Nero pacing in his room. Something had happened to the younger half devil, something wasn't right. Dante knew that it was unlikely to find out what happened when Nero was in a mood like this but it didn't stop him from trying. Slipping into a pair of jeans and a red shirt, he left his bedroom and knocked at Nero's door. "Kid?"

 

"Get lost!" Sighing, Dante took hold of the doorknob. But Nero's voice kept him from opening the door. "I swear, Dante, if you open the fucking door right now, I'll shoot you. I'll fucking shoot you before you could take one step inside this room and rip your throat out! Now back off!" That alone was merely enough to make the hunter hesitate but what stopped him from ignoring Nero was the sound of tears at the end of the hateful threat. The older hunter knew that it was Nero's pride talking right now. Showing weakness wasn't easy and Nero hated it more than being hurt, maybe most of all. Dante let go of the door and took a step back, loud enough for the ex-knight to hear that he respected his boundaries. But he didn't leave the young man alone. Instead, Dante took another step back and leaned against the wall across the door, waiting. But Nero didn't come out again that night.

 

It was nearly midday as Dante refused to wait any longer. He came up the stairs, gave a short knock as a warning and opened the door to Nero's room. But the young man was gone. The wind blew raindrops through the open window and judging from the amount of water on the floor, it had been open for a while now. Blue Rose was gone; Red Queen though was still downstairs, leaning against the wall next to Rebellion. He had made sure of it. Dante didn't like it. He didn't want to wait but the fact that Nero's sword was still here made it clear that the younger hunter would return eventually. And he did.

 

When Nero came back into the office that afternoon, he wasn't surprised to find Dante at his usual spot, magazine on his face. He didn't look long enough at the older male to notice pale eyes following every move he made since he had returned. He didn't care. Nero was still in a bad mood and he didn't bother to hide it. Ignoring the old sofa, the ex-knight made his way to the pool table. He pushed himself up onto it, leaning back a bit, eyes fixed on the window while sinking his teeth into an apple in his left hand. But it was his right hand Dante was interested in. Nero's Devil Bringer was hidden under a long black sleeve of his V-neck shirt but pale eyes had caught a glimpse of white underneath. For some reason the young man had bandaged his right arm down to the tips of his claws and Dante didn't like the sight of it. "Nero," he began, but was interrupted.

 

"Let's not." The ex-knight didn't even look at him.

 

"What?"

 

"Talk about it. Just drop it." Sharp teeth ripped a piece of apple off, crushing it effortlessly before he swallowed. With the renewed silence between them, Dante's keen ears picked up every sound of it.

 

"No, let's not just drop it." Sighing, the older hunter took the magazine and threw it onto his desk, feet swinging off the polished surface. "You know, you can talk to me and maybe you should." The ex-knight gave him an amused snort as reply. Using his bandaged Devil Bringer, Nero picked up the cue ball, testing its weight before throwing it back onto the table, knocking it against the far side and picking it up again as it came back into his reach. "What's so funny?"

 

"You." He threw it again, this time hitting the solid five and knocking it into one of the side pockets.

 

"How so?" Dante stood up from his place and made his way over to his angry roommate. "You don't play it with your hands, kid." That being said, he grabbed Nero's Devil Bringer and stripped the sleeve from the bandaged arm up to its elbow. "What happened?" The demonic arm was unlikely to be injured which made him guess that Nero once again hid it from the sight of others. "Who saw it?" And he was right about that guess; Dante could see it in these blue eyes that refused to look at him. Nero yanked his arm free again, smoothing the black sleeve down.

 

"Doesn't matter." He grabbed the eight ball and shot it across the table, hitting two more of the solid balls sinking them in the process.

 

Realizing that he wouldn't attain anything this way, Dante took two cues from the rack. "Wanna play?" Nero shrugged but caught the stick mid air. The older hunter gave him a nod to get him to stand up from the table and Nero complied. Taking the last bite from his apple he threw the rest into the trash next to Dante's desk. "If I win," Dante began to collect the balls. "you'll tell me what happened."

 

"And if you lose?" Nero watched him, noticing the smile on Dante's face.

 

"In that case, you can ask me whatever you want, kid." With every ball in place Dante took a step back. "You wanna break?"

 

Accepting the offer, Nero took his first shot, the familiar cracking sound of the balls colliding filled the room and was the only sound for a few minutes. Nero sank four of the stripes before he missed the first time. If Dante had known that the kid could play, he would have asked him earlier. But better late than never. Having the experience of years, with little else to do while waiting for the telephone to ring, Dante sank every solid ball except of the last one, which was blocked from the eight and one of Nero's. So he placed his shot in a way that would make it hard for the younger hunter to sink his next ball. Nero managed anyway, proceeding smoothly until he missed the eight ball. Cursing under his breath he watched as Dante won the game, a smirk on his lips. "Now tell me what happened."

 

* * *

 

He had been shopping like he had planed that evening. Well planed, wasn't really the word for it; forced to, because he had to if he wanted something to eat later beside pizza. He didn't pay too much attention to his surroundings, his mind still a bit too much preoccupied by the regular events happening back at the shop lately. He had picked a few random items from the shelves when something blocked his way. No, not something, someone to be precise. A young boy, maybe three years old had wandered his way, leaving the side of his mother who was chatting lively a bit further down the aisle. Being quite fond of kids because of their honest nature, Nero offered the boy an open smile and stepped out of the way to let him pass. Doing no such thing, the kid kept staring at the hunter and Nero just skirted him when a small, warm hand reached out and tugged at the index finger of his right hand. Fascinated by the demonic arm and its glow, the boy didn't let go. "Hey there," Nero tried to get his attention away from his hand.

 

The mother noticing her missing child spotted them and came hurriedly, calling out the boy's name. She was in the middle of an apology when she noticed his Devil Bringer and the hand of her son gripping it. The apology ended in a shrill scream and she picked up the boy a bit too forcefully but successfully separating him from Nero's hand. "Someone help!"

 

It wasn't an unfamiliar reaction, Nero noticed absentmindedly, his Devil Bringer automatically hiding behind his back. He knew something had been out of place lately. He had felt far too comfortable around Capulet City, intoxicated by the anonymity of crowded streets and a population outnumbering Fortuna by far. He had been careless. Nero cursed under his breath, taking a step back. The women who had been chatting with the boy's mother came, calling for someone of the staff on her way. The boy was crying now, unused to the rough handling and the panic radiating from his mother.

 

"He wanted to hurt my son! Look at his hand! He's a devil!" Reasoning in such a situation was in Nero's experience futile. Abandoning the items he still had in his hand, he urged his idle feet to run – fast. The two women screeched in fear as he passed them. Avoiding the hand of a man trying to catch him, Nero stumbled outside and dashed off in the direction of the shop, hateful screams behind him that would ring in his mind until he reached home. How could he have been so careless? How could he have let his mind fool him into believing, that coming to Capulet would change anything? He had been such an idiot.

 

* * *

 

"I didn't notice the kid," Nero tried to explain himself in front of the older hunter.

 

"Wasn't your fault." Dante leaned back against the pool table, the ex-knight's angry voice still repeating the story in his mind. That was how people reacted to something they didn't understand. He knew that and so did Nero but it hurt nevertheless. He had been the one who told Nero to be more open with his Devil Bringer and now he hadn't been around to take care when things got out of hand again. _Great_ , he thought. _Now the kid is back to hiding_.

 

"Yeah well shit, that helps a lot you know? What if they call someone and –"

 

"Hold on, Nero." The older hunter noticed how Nero's mind had run a mile in a minute, causing him to panic. "Nothing will happen."

 

"You don't know –"

 

"Believe me, it won't," he cut him off a second time. "Trust me." He could see from the look on Nero's face that trust was something he had to earn again. "Okay," he gave in to the younger one's assumptions. "Let them call someone. In fact, let them call someone to hunt you down right now. I know at least three devil hunters in the city. And guess who would get that call." Realization was written across Nero's face in an instant. The younger hunter swiped his nose bashfully, laying the cue stick that had been idle in his hands back on the table.

 

"Whatever, old man." Now slightly calmer, Nero made his way upstairs.


	7. Hourglass (part I)

 

_**'l sol tace**_  
Chapter VII

**Hourglass (part I)**

 

Nero was agitated. The ex-knight needed to take his mind off everything that had happened lately and something that always calmed him was to take care of his weapons. Saving Red Queen for later, he kept his hands busy with dissembling his revolver. His serious face gave Dante again the urge to ruffle that pale mop of hair. The older hunter was currently sitting next to his roommate in front of the TV, a beer in hand and kept watch over his younger business partner from the corner of his eye. At least Nero was using both hands right now, handling his revolver with experienced grace. On the surface it had been uneventful few days but underneath was a different story.

It had been raining every day, sometimes just a light drizzle but most of the time it poured as if the god of weather himself had decided to wash all the filth of the busy city away, a task nearly impossible. The sound of rain hitting the roof and windows had been a constant companion at the office but it didn't make up for the lack of a ringing telephone. There had been no further customers whatsoever. That left both men with more time to spend at hand than they cared for.

Nero had been thinking back of his days in Fortuna. Sure, no one had really employed the ex-knight to kill all the remaining demons that roamed around the island but it had been an unspoken agreement with the Order that had provided him with the money he had needed. It wasn't much but it had sufficed to maintain his lifestyle. But he knew there could have been only so many demons left and even on his daily patrols the deterioration of demons had been noticeable. He knew. Yet it didn't stop him from complaining to Dante about his boredom. But the older hunter had let it slip with nothing more than a joke. And so they continued their living together.

It wouldn't have been half as bad if Dante hadn't been out every day on a quest for a new lover. Nero could be lucky with Dante spending his time at Love Planet but sometimes the older male brought his conquests home with him to continue what he had started earlier and it basically ruined Nero's entire day. He had no desire to explore the remaining parts of the city in the rain and since his room was next to Dante's, he was forced to stay downstairs if he didn't want to hear every sound coming from behind closed doors. His enhanced hearing provided him with enough already anyway. On these days, Nero wished Dante to all the existing parts of hell and he became even more furious when he realized that he wished for Dante to come back afterwards; hopefully more refined. Yeah, right, as if that would happen. A sarcastic grin spread across the ex-knights face to that thought.

Currently Dante considered his options. He could ask the young man straight forward or he could joke about it. To get an honest answer out of the short tempered half devil wasn't an easy task. But the question had been on his mind for days. He really burned to know the answer. "Are you a virgin?" The direct approach it was. He took a sip of beer to play the newly formed silence between them down, keeping watch on Nero's face from his peripheral field of vision. The young man seemed to be surprised by the question. It didn't show in the guarded expression on his face. But there were signs; a sudden tautness in Nero's back muscles, visible under the fabric of his black shirt or the slight hesitation as he picked up the cloth to polish his beloved gun.

"What?" He stopped cleaning Blue Rose. Dante had watched him reassemble his gun before; it wouldn't take him more than a few seconds. The older hunter raised an eyebrow in question, not willing to repeat himself. "That's none of your business, old man," Nero snapped and Dante thought he had his answer. He took another sip and leaned back, watching the TV without interest, propping up his feet up on the coffee table. "But no, I'm not a _virgin._ " He spat the word like it was some kind of old fashioned embarrassing phrase.

"So you are a playboy after all. I should have figured," Dante laughed.

"Don't confuse me with yourself, you old pervert. I would have never betrayed Kyrie like that." Snapping sounds mixed with the background murmur of the TV as Nero reassembled Blue Rose with more force than needed, obviously agitated by the topic. Dante just smiled at that. He let the boy finish putting everything on the table before he spoke again.

"How was it?" He could see how he ticked the boy off but it wasn't enough to make him lose it.

"Listen," Nero started angrily, clearly not willing to share his personal, intimate experience with the older hunter but Dante cut him short.

"I'm not making fun of you. But being the same as you, I am interested in how a half demon could have a serious relationship with a human. Obviously _I_ can't." That wasn't exactly what he was thinking but it was enough to calm the younger man down somewhat. Sometimes Nero was too easy to play with. Again there was silence between them for a few minutes and both hunters pretended to watch the TV show flickering before them, while in fact, both of them stopped paying attention to it right after it had started.

"It was awkward," Nero admitted finally, voice lowered. He kept his eyes from looking at Dante, not ready to face any emotion in the handsome face.

"Why?" Dante knew better than to let any kind of feeling slip into his words.

"Because..." The younger hunter stopped talking again, wondering how he should phrase it without sounding like a complete idiot. "I was afraid to let myself go. It felt like if I would do that, I would hurt her; like she was too fragile. We didn't try it again after that." Dante thought about it, crossing his legs. It was true, both of them had too much strength for their own good sometimes and he himself had had to learn how to deal with it over the years. Burning enough pent-up energy while killing some demons helped, but sex was better for dealing with emotional buildup. And the kid needed both of that obviously.

The impulse came, but didn't die out again like last time. Feeling soft white hair under the fingertips of his half-finger gloved hand, he played with the silky strands, slightly tugging at them and winding the pale hair around his fingers. He felt the younger man tense. It seemed like Nero had an inner-argue with himself until he relaxed again, ignoring the touch. So he was finally getting used to it. The older male felt the corners of his mouth twitch into a smile to that thought.

Dante fell asleep after a while of watching TV. Legs still resting on the coffee table he sat slumped back, arms lying on the back rest were bent at the elbows and hooked behind the sofa. Nero wondered how the older hunter could sleep like that but he was sure it was the case because he could hear Dante's soft snoring. Without the risk of being caught he watched the elder hunter cavalierly. Dante's red shirt was stretched taut around shoulders and chest and slightly pushed up at his stomach, revealing the man's skin with distinctive muscles underneath and fine hairs leading down from his bellybutton, vanishing under his jeans. Nero followed them with his eyes and he couldn't deny liking what he saw. The man next to him was the most gorgeous male he'd ever seen but there was no need to boost his ego by telling him. Nero bet Dante heard that all the time from his lovers.

Sighing, he reached for the remote and turned the TV off. Dante's lovers. How long until the hunter would go out to add another to his still growing collection? Lately Nero saw more and more men joining his roommate in the bedroom. At first he had paid them no mind but now he caught himself comparing them to his own appearance. He came to the conclusion that Dante liked the young, athletic type, never taller than him and apparently rather vocal during sex as he could hear them every time calling out to the older half demon.

Nero rubbed his eyes tiredly. He grabbed Blue Rose from the table and stood up. The sound of it seemed to disturb the older hunter. Dante said something unintelligible and stretched, causing the muscles in his torso to ripple, and his shirt to ride up higher. Nero licked his lips at the sight until his gaze found two pale eyes blinking lazily at him. "Did I snore?" Dante's voice was slightly slurred from sleep.

"Loud enough that I couldn't hear a single line from the film," Nero lied and chuckled at the pouting face of the older. He stepped behind the sofa, noticing that those icy eyes were following him to the point Dante had to let his head fall back to see him. Holstering Blue Rose and holding his cleaning items in one hand, Nero used the other to ruffle Dante's hair from behind which made those pale eyes widen in surprise. _That game can be played by both of us_ , Nero thought and went upstairs to his room.

 

 

* * *

 

 

That night came the first call in days. The persistent ringing woke both hunters from their sleep and while Dante finally made his way downstairs, door banging, to end the disturbing noise and give a piece of his mind to whoever dared to call at such a late hour, Nero stood just dazedly in at the door to his bedroom and watched his roommate take care of it.

"What?" Dante snapped after slamming the surface of his desk and catching the telephone. "Listen lady, we close at nine. You know what time it is?" Nero smirked at that and took a few steps to lean against the balcony to observe Dante. "Yeah, well, it will have to wait. We are closed." Dante really felt no desire to leave right now in the middle of the night, helping some weeping housewife. For all he knew it could be just a simple scarecrow problem or, more likely, nothing concerning demons at all. It happened all the time. "I under- I understand but " Obviously Dante had some problems to share his opinion. "Listen, I am no babysitter. If you lost your kid, call the police." Nero watched Dante roll his eyes in resignation. He knew Dante had a soft spot when it came to people who needed his help and he could see his inner fight between going back to his warm, comfortable bed and giving in to the crying woman. "I'm sure he is fine. But if it makes you feel better we will come to you first thing in the morning." Dante's last attempt. Nero crossed his arms on the banister, leaning forward. No, Dante really didn't want to go out tonight.

"I'll go," Nero offered. He was awake now and it didn't really matter to him. It wasn't like he had been used to business hours back in Fortuna. There had been nights he had felt too restless to sleep and spent them hunting anyway. Dante had heard him and looked up at his roommate, sighing.

"O- okay, okay, lady. Would you just stop crying? Just give me the directions already." Smirking, Nero turned around to get dressed and ready to head out. When he came back, he nearly bumped into Dante who passed his door the same time. "We leave in five," the older half-breed told him.

"I can handle it," Nero assured him.

"Yeah, well I'm up anyway. Can't let kids play alone in the dark, now can I?" Nero didn't know if it was just Dante's goodwill respective to humans in need or something in the details of the job offer that had changed his mind but he would find out soon enough.

 

* * *

 

 

The air was thick with the smell of rain and everything it had flushed out from wherever it could reach, creating a nearly overwhelming stench for the two half demons. Nero pulled his hood closer around his face and followed Dante along the sparsely lightened street. The sound of their boots mixed with the splashing and Nero had a hard time distinguishing every source noise around them.

"Aaah," Dante sighed suddenly in a complaining voice. "I hate rain." He turned his head to the side to catch a glimpse of Nero behind him. Nero nodded and burrowed his hands deeper in his pockets. His eyes studied the man in front of him. Surely Dante's senses were even keener than his own and Nero could understand the man's dislike for this kind of weather.

The ex-knight's ears focused onto another sound, like heavy drops hitting a hard surface. Not metal, but water resistant. The sound was constant regardless of their movements and as Nero's blue eyes got a good sight of Dante passing under a streetlight, he could see the rain hitting the leather of Dante's coat. _Don't get too caught up in your surroundings_ , the young man scolded himself mentally. The urge to keep track on every possible cause of danger around did that sometimes to him, he knew from experience. There had been a time when he was younger, that had been especially hard for him. Nero always had had keen senses and he had always known that something was different about him. However it had been only after the incident which had changed his arm into what it was today that his senses went haywire and jammed his system completely for the first few days. Nero had thought he would go crazy from all the impressions crashing down on him. He had pulled through eventually but the memory of the feelings back then never left his mind completely.

He still remembered how he had been wandering alone outside, watching his surroundings wide eyed, shrinking back from every sound that suddenly assaulted him in intensity he still couldn't comprehend back then. After two days Kyrie and Credo had found him sitting outside somewhere near the cliffs, just listening and watching the rain fall while trying to focus on every sound it made when hitting different textures. He had no memory of how long he had been sitting there when his two best friends he sometimes even called siblings had finally brought him back to town. They had been worried about him but he had had no explanation for what was going on with him.

"Wake up, kid. We're here."

Snapping out of his thoughts, Nero caught himself before he could bump into Dante who had stopped in front of him. The older hunter took a look around as they waited for the door to be opened. There was nothing that caught his attention around the neighborhood. The area consisted of mostly apartment buildings with just a few shops. They didn't have to wait long. A young woman opened one of the doors and Nero averted his eyes quickly from her tear stricken face. He hated to see women cry. But something else got his attention and caused Nero to turn his head in an attempt to focus while tuning out the weeping and fearful words of the young mother. Something was there; he had no doubt, something powerful. And again he could hear a whisper in his head. His Devil Bringer pulsed in anticipation. He was only half listening to Dante as the hunter assured the young lady that they would search for her lost child and asked her to wait inside.

"That way," was all Nero said after the door was closed again.

"Saw something?" Dante scanned the street in the out pointed direction but he couldn't see anything suspicious. He sniffed the air but it would be rather difficult to isolate the stench of demons in this weather.

"No, just a feeling." Nero shrugged as if he couldn't explain it in any other way and led the way.

Dante didn't expect the young man to have such a precise idea where to search first but Nero led them around the next corner into a small alley and shortly after that he ducked under a lapsed wooden fence, leading them into a pitch black gap formed by two close standing buildings. The space made them face sideways; being too narrow to walk normally for a grown man but a kid on the other hand would have no such trouble. Dante frowned as Nero didn't even think twice before squeezing between the narrow walls. "Hey kid, you sure that's the right way?"

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"Hm, takes a kid to find a lost one, huh?" Dante didn't really like the narrow passage. He could feel his coat scraping along the walls and Rebellion lay heavy in his hand after he had to remove his sword from his back but the weapon would be of no use to him back here.

"What's wrong, Dante? Claustrophobic? Or did all the pizza finally take its toll?"

"Are you calling me fat, kid? I don't believe it. Watch out or I might hurt you." Indignant Dante followed his younger partner further until Nero suddenly vanished in front of him. Dante's sharp eyesight caught just a flash of pale hair and he could hear shuffling sounds. Adjusting his eyes a bit more to the dark, the hunter could make out a broken window just above the ground, leading into one of the buildings. He could hardly get through but there was no backing down now and he could hear Nero chuckling at him from below.

"C'mon old man. Your knees hurt or something?" Muttering something unintelligible under his breath, Dante followed the ex-knight. Dusting of his hands and pants, he took a look around and was suddenly assaulted by the stench of lurking demons. Even without that he would have known for Nero's Bringer was glowing brighter with their presence nearby.

"Phew nothing as refreshing as the foul stench of hell first thing in the morning." He put Rebellion back onto his back, reaching for Ivory instead.

"There must be some of them, this thing is going crazy on me," Nero said and flexed his claws. "Think the boy is alright?"

"Doubt it. Let's hurry." Dante went first, making haste on dusty concrete floor and crunching shards of broken glass under his boots. It was definitely the playground of a young boy. He could make out a few smaller footprints and some toys lying around.

Behind the next corner they found the first Mephisto floating his way and Dante made quick work of him. "Not these guys again," Nero sighed. Glowing fingers pierced the dark, reaching for him but he dodged, revealing two more of the dark shrouded demons. His Devil Bringer and Red Queen brought them down but in the light radiating from his demonic arm, Nero could see the dimension of their problem at hand. There must have been over a dozen of these devils down here. "Shit, do you see that?" He called out to Dante who had his hands full with another two.

"Hard to miss, isn't it kid? Do you see the boy?" Sometimes Dante thought it would be handy to have something glowing in the dark like that Devil Bringer for himself considering how many hours of his life he had spend already hunting in dark, cold places crawling with devils.

"No." The ex-knight slashed his way further into the room that must have been something like a huge storage space. He could see crates and other stuff concealed with large pieces of fabric. Getting rid of another demon he noticed something odd. Between all the swirling Mephistos down here he couldn't find a single Faust along them. Something else must have gathered so many of this kind of demon. "I'll check that way," he announced and didn't wait for a reply.

"Sure, leave these flying rags to me. This will be a hell of a party." Grinning, Dante shot the next round of power infused bullets. It didn't really matter where he aimed. With so many demons around he was bound to hit something.

The smell of blood made Nero stop. His boots came to a slippery halt after his dash down a dark hallway. He took another deep breath but he had been right about the smell. It was mixed with demon stench but he could recognize it nevertheless. And by the amount of it, he would be too late. Cursing Nero followed the smell, Red Queen in hand and ready to slice the head off of whatever had killed the little boy. As he found the body, Nero felt rage rising inside of him. The boy had been stabbed with something in the chest. It must have been a swift death for the ex-knight could still see the shock and fear engraved into the features of the poor child lying broken on the dirty ground.

"Come out and show yourself," Nero growled, whipping around to a sound behind him. His eyes narrowed at the sight. Pale white wings and a glowing lance. He had never seen such a demon before. "Heh. So it was you, huh?" Bending his knees slightly, Nero readied himself for the first attack. His strike was fast and it hit hard but the ex-knight was taken aback as his weapon was repelled without even causing any kind of damage. An echoing voice accompanied the swift attack that followed, forcing the young hunter to take a step back and parry. He lunged again but without success. Even changing Red Queen with Blue Rose had no result. Cursing, Nero holstered his revolver again. He could use his sword to defend himself at least. His last chance was his Devil Bringer and Nero was more than ready to try and rip that demon apart with it. He flexed his claws and charged at the flying devil that mocked every existing god with its divine appearance but Nero's deadly grip never reached his target. The movement was too fast to follow as the demon suddenly reappeared behind the ex-knight and struck him down. The lance missed its target only by an inch. Nero crashed into some wooden crates, only able to avoid a critical blow because of his fast reflexes. But the demonic weapon hadn't missed him entirely. A bloody gash ran down his side from above his hip to the middle of his abdomen. Pressing his right hand to the wound, Nero gasped and tuned around just in time to dodge another attack.

A shot rang out in the darkness and a moment later Nero could see Dante appearing inside the reach of his Devil Bringer's light. The older male had a diabolic smirk on his lips. "I knew I recognized that voice from somewhere. Wish I hadn't though. Are you alright, kid?"

"I'm fine," Nero sneered. "You took your time."

"Heh, sorry about that. Had to say goodbye to every single guest back there." Then Dante's pale eyes found the dead boy and the smirk faded. "So we are too late after all."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean we can't send the bastard who did it back to hell." Nero parried another attack.

"You are right about that." Dante took Rebellion and delivered his first blow. "Be careful, kid. There is no joking around with a Fallen."

"Noticed. This bastard reminds me of that stupid white armor back in Fortuna." A powerful swipe of a wing send Nero back crashing into the ground before his sword could reach its target. But Dante used his opportunity to strike again. A few more blows and they would be rid of that annoying defense.

"Watch out, kid." He watched Nero climb back onto his feet while he kept the demons attention drawn to himself.

"I'm _fine_. Stop treating me like a helpless idiot. A few bloody scratches won't kill me for fucks sake." It made Nero furious that Dante still didn't see him as his equal. He could take the blows and he would get up again just like the older hunter could. Yet Dante didn't acknowledge it.

"If you say so." Pride was something you couldn't underrate when it came to Nero. Dante knew that all too well. He better gave in to the young ex-knight instead of following his concerns for the young mans safety. And Dante was concerned, more that he would like to admit. He could smell Nero's blood in the air and it brought out worry and anger from inside him. He'd better take care of the Fallen before his feelings engulfed him even more.

"Be careful, something is strange about him," Nero warned. Dante avoided the glowing lance again but before he could get any kind of clarification from his partner, he saw it with his own eyes; or didn't see because the demon vanished between the two hunters. It reappeared like before outside of reach from any sword and lashed out with its lance. Sparks flew as the glowing demonic weapon scratched along Ebony which Dante had drawn in the last moment to avoid being impaled.

"Who taught you new tricks," the older male wanted to know and took a step back. And it happened again. The lance nicked Dante's left shoulder as he wasn't fast enough this time. Eyes widened because he couldn't follow the rapid movement at all, the older half-breed jumped to the side. Beside him, Nero had enough of just watching and aimed for another strike with Red Queen; he missed.

"I really _hate_ this teleporting stuff," he growled.

"It's not like that. I can feel the air movement but I've never seen a Fallen that fast. Something is wrong." The next attack caused Nero to cry out in pain as the glowing lance pierced through his right leg, breaking his femur and bringing the ex-knight down onto his knees. Dante wanted to call out to his partner but Nero's angry words from before caused him to bit his tongue instead. All he could do was trust the younger male to take care of himself and keep the demon busy in the meantime. Rebellion was fast but it had no effect if it couldn't reach its goal. Bullets were faster.

Wincing, Nero stayed down until he could feel his bone knitting back together again. He took Blue Rose but as the fight progressed, the demon seemed to use more of that rapid movement making it nearly impossible to aim. "I think the next one is aimed at you, kid," Dante warned him as he saw that Nero was still kneeling.

"Let it come," the ex-knight growled and focused. He could feel a change in the demonic power of the Fallen every time it used that strange ability. That didn't enable him to foresee the direction but it would be enough. It was time to find out if getting used to his own new tricks had been worth his effort. As he could feel the approaching attack, Nero summoned the power of his Irrlicht to create an illusion. "Got'cha!" Red Queen hit hard, causing the defending wing to finally shatter. Underneath was a floating hourglass next to the demons body. "Think you can hide that from me, do you?" His Devil Bringer ripped the demonic item away and Nero could feel it instantly being absorbed inside his arm, causing him to curse under his breath and grab onto his right wrist, Red Queen clattering to the ground in the process. But Dante didn't miss his chance and delivered the final blow with Rebellion.

"Nice move," the older hunter said and gave his partner an encouraging pat on the shoulder. He reached down and handed Red Queen back to her owner before resting Rebellion onto his back again and kneeling down in front of the dead young boy to pick him up into his arms. "Let's go. We have to bring him home. That's the least we can do." Nodding in silent agreement, Nero led the way outside.

 

 

* * *

 

 

They went home in silence both of them had no desire to talk about what happened as they delivered the boy's body to his mother and neither of them felt like it would be right to just forget about it so soon and return to their daily life instead. So they kept silent. The rain had once again returned to a light drizzle and the first rays of morning light edged around heavy clouds. Maybe it would finally stop today.

Back at the shop they both shed their weapons and wet clothes. Nero's were torn anyway and he discarded his hoody and shirt and left them on the floor next to the double doors to throw them out later. He didn't need to check on his wounds. He knew they had healed by now. Kicking his heavy boots to the side, he made his way into the kitchen and grabbed himself a bottle of tomato juice. Knowing Dante, the elder would favor some Jack instead, regardless of the early hour. Nero leaned into the doorframe and opened his bottle. Automatically his eyes sought the body of his partner. Dante had taken off his red coat that again would need some mending but had refrained from shedding anything else of his clothes. Even the muddy boots were still on his feet, resting of the surface of his desk. His head was tilted back like always but not hidden underneath a magazine yet. Nero thought the older half-breed would once again take a nap at his favorite spot but he found pale eyes staring at him the same way he had been staring at Dante.

The ex-knight drained the content of his bottle and made his way over to the desk, bare feet silent on the wooden floor planks. His jeans were still wet and he would change out of them soon but right now he was too lazy to go upstairs. Dante's eyes followed him like a predator followed his prey but Nero didn't mind. He leaned against the desk right next to Dante and let his gaze wander elsewhere while he could still feel pale eyes on himself. It would have been a nice game, sneaking glances at each other while pretending not to notice but that was not the kind of game Dante was playing. The older male looked at what appealed to him and he didn't care if someone noticed him doing so. The arrogance of being stared at for years allowed him to do so. Nero had been looked at almost all of his life but for a different reason; one that caused him to still shy away sometimes and feel uncomfortable if he felt eyes following him. But with Dante he knew too well what those pale orbs were doing. There was no disgust, no fear in them and Nero couldn't find a hint of pity. Dante just liked what he saw and he didn't hide it. It was a forbidden sexual tension between them but neither of them would give in to it so easily. Nero didn't want to become one of Dante's countless conquests and the older hunter still dreaded the overwhelming influence of his inner devil. But they both knew their desires had been discovered.

Nero cocked his head and looked down at his partner again. There was blood drenching the dark shirt and only the lesser part of it was Dante's own. Nero had ignored the smell before but as he saw it again, he couldn't do so any longer. It was the smell of the young boy now lingering inside the shop as well. It made him sigh, all wandering thoughts and rising moods forgotten instantly. He wondered how Dante could stand it. The ex-knight discarded his empty bottle into the trash next to the desk and stood again. He was the first to disrupt the silence. "You should get out of those before you catch cold." They both knew that it was highly unlikely for both of them to suffer from such a minor infection but Nero really wanted to get rid of that smell and didn't feel like bringing up the dead child again. His left hand patted Dante's shoulder once before he went upstairs to take a shower.

On his return Nero was alone. He had heard Dante following his example to shower as soon as he went to his room to find something else to wear. He had decided on a navy blue t-shirt and gray faded jeans. Nero knelt next to Red Queen leaning at the wall next to the stairs and quickly checked her over. His blade needed some cleaning and he had noticed some minor problem with the engine earlier. It looked like he would have to take care of some fine tuning of her Exceed system later. But that wasn't a task he would take lightly. The blade was complex and any kind of mistake could end dangerous if not deadly. Normally knights didn't have to take care of their own swords. The Order had skilled engineers to keep the unique weapons in top condition because the maintaining of the delicate engines was nothing an inexperienced man could handle. But the first time Nero had been entrusted with Red Queen had been the point when the young man had decided to learn how it was done. He had been persuading the master engineer for weeks until he had received his training. The Order didn't like to see these kinds of things. A knight should rather concentrate on his swordsmanship and improve, leaving the technical work to others. It was dangerous tampering with the swords and since they were exclusive weapons only used by the Order, it was advisable to induct as few as possible into the secrets of balancing such a weapon. But since Red Queen was unique along the swords on Fortuna Island and Nero had been taking care of mostly solo missions outside of town that kept him away for days sometimes, he had been permitted the education even if it had taken some influence from Credo's side.

His fingertips followed the pattern of thorns engraved into his sword and he rubbed away a smear of blood. Maybe his weapons were the only things Nero didn't regret receiving from the Order. "Later baby," he promised and stood up again. Fumbling the long piece of fabric out of his pocket, Nero began the procedure of bandaging his right arm again. First it had been complicated to find a way to wrap the bandage tightly enough so it wouldn't come loose again using only one hand. But now it had become routine. Hopping onto the pool table, Nero took one end between his teeth and began wrapping the other around his right arm just underneath his shoulder. Taking care to avoid any tangles in the white fabric he worked his way up first, hiding every bit of demonic skin from curious eyes before following his arm all the way down to his fingertips. The procedure was strangely soothing. Half way down he could hear Dante joining him downstairs again and a short sniff of air revealed no traces of foreign blood left but just the pleasant smell of freshly washed skin and hair mixed with the base note of what Nero simply defined as Dante in his olfactory center.

Just like him, Dante wore no boots and made his way over to the pool table on bare feet. Nero could hear Dante click his tongue in annoyance behind him before the older half-breed grabbed the ex-knight's left hand and slipped his fingers under the bandage, tugging the white fabric loose again sliding it down the demonic arm of his partner. "What gives, old man?" Nero stared angrily over his shoulder.

"You don't need that," _when you're with me_ , he added in his mind but that was all the older male had to say before tugging the bandage inside his pocket.

"Who the hell are you to decide that?"

"My roof, my rules, remember?" He crossed his arms in front of his broad chest. Nero jumped down from the pool table to confront his partner.

"Yeah? Tell me if I'm wrong but as far as I know I'm still paying half of the rent for this hellhole you call your home. So mind your own business." Nero reached for Dante's pocket but the older kept his hand away.

"Hey kid, not so fast. Don't put your hands down another man's pants without his permission." Now furious Nero shoved the older hunter back against the pool table and delivered a hard punch to Dante's jaw. The older half demon didn't even bother to dodge and Nero felt satisfaction from the sickening feeling of breaking bone underneath the knuckles of his Devil Bringer.

"Come again?" he threatened and could see Dante swallow repeatedly but red liquid poured from full lips nevertheless and ran down the older hunter's chin. Judging by the amount of it, Dante wouldn't say a single word until the tongue he had bitten through from the punch had healed again. Nero watched the blood with fascination as it followed pale skin down Dante's neck, staining the newly put on shirt, while some of it just dripped down from his chin and left splattered patterns on the wooden floor. The older half-breed wiped at his chin with the back of his hand, eyeing the bitter tasting liquid rather calmly before feeling along his broken jaw to make sure it would heal correctly. The calmness of the other man ticked Nero off even more. It annoyed him to no end that Dante never showed any kind of sulfurous reaction to his outbursts. It seemed like he couldn't provoke anything from his partner in these situations. This indifference was too much for him to handle. "Just fuck off," he growled and left the older standing while he made his way over to the sofa and lay down, facing away from Dante.

It took Dante a moment before his tongue allowed him to speak again and the seemingly endless river of blood subsided in his mouth. Shifting his jaw a bit he wiped at the remaining blood and licked it from the back of his hand. As for the peaceful moment, it seemed it was ruined beyond retrieval right now and so he didn't bother to try. What was important to him was that he had succeeded in hindering Nero to hide behind that stupid bandage again even when he was at home and if all it took was a few mouthfuls of his blood and a heated outrage of his partner to do so, he would pay the price.

The young ex-knight had buried his left hand in his pale strands of hair while resting his head on his human arm. His Devil Bringer was in front of his face as he tried to understand the new demonic power he had received in his earlier encounter. He wanted to get used to it. Rapid movement was an invaluable skill in combat and he couldn't even think of the possibilities it would allow him. But he also realized that it wouldn't be easy. 'Unstable' came to his mind as he tried to summon that power. Like no, he didn't know how to describe it in any other way. His Devil Bringer was gently pulsing and Nero sat up. Thinking about it wasn't really his style; he always took the direct approach if possible. He ignored Dante's curious eyes as he stretched out his Bringer and concentrated on the demonic power coursing inside his right arm.

He couldn't summon it. It was shifting constantly, bending but not to his will as if to taunt him to take his chance and find the right moment without knowing what would happen. Like, yes, like shifting sand inside that little hourglass he had taken. He wrapped his mind around that thought. So it wasn't just rapid movement it was time magic. And it all began to make sense. Flowing time like sand inside the hourglass. It shifted again but Nero didn't know which direction would make the time run faster and which would slow it down. Would it even work that way? "Guess I have to find out sometime," he muttered and gave a mental push that echoed through his right arm. And yes, the time was shifting but only his own and not like he had intended. It was like being stuck in his personal time while everything else around him picked up speed but he knew it was only him who had slowed down so much he could watch everything around him like a film played in fast motion. And inside him emerged a straining ache, starting in his chest. The pain increased with every heartbeat but he only counted three until it became unbearable. And then Dante appeared in front of his eyes and he didn't know what happened.

Dante's hand burned from the force he had put into the slap that had jerked Nero's head to the side. But he had to do something drastic since the young man didn't respond to his calling. It seemed like Nero was lost deep in his own thoughts what had been strange at first but not alerting until Dante had realized that his partner's heart had stopped beating; or slowed down dangerously to be precise. Whatever Nero had done, he had to snap him out of it, fast. "C'mon kid! Say something!" And the young man finally regained his movement and his breath hitched painfully as he grabbed his chest stumbling when his knees threatened to give way. "Nero!" Dante caught the young man and grabbed his shoulders, willing the ex-knight to look at him. He pressed two fingers against Nero's neck and was relieved when he felt his heart racing. "Idiot, I thought you were gone for good this time." Not thinking about it, he pulled Nero into a tight embrace, sighing.

"Let go," the younger hunter chocked out, having the need for some space to breathe right now. He felt Dante comply and grabbed onto the right shoulder of the older man while his Devil Bringer was still pressed against his hurting chest. It took him a few deep breaths to regain his composure. "Well, that was something," he managed to say finally.

"What have you done?" Dante's voice was cold regardless of the noticeable concern in it.

"I used the hourglass from the Fallen. But it didn't work out."

"You could be dead, you know that? Time magic is nothing to be played with. Show me the damned thing." Dante held out his hand but Nero shook his head. "Nero," the older male warned him, assuming that the ex-knight wanted to keep the demonic item to himself.

"It won't happen again. I just read the movement the wrong way. Now back off." He let go of Dante and made his way over to the window and sat down on the sill. He could sense that for Dante this wasn't over but he had no desire to fight with the older half demon right now. So he made a promise instead. "I will be more careful." That seemed to calm his partner for now and Nero leaned his head against the cold glass and looked outside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: yay, you made it. Regarding the demons mentioned in this chapter, I guess I won't have to explain to you what a Mephisto is. The Fallen is borrowed from DMC3 and everyone who played it will remember these nasty little …..wing things getting on your nerves starting at mission 16. Pissed me off every time fighting them, that's why they made their appearance here…stupid little...


	8. Hourglass (part II)

**_'l sol tace_ **

**Chapter VIII**

Later that evening Nero had settled down cross-legged at the coffee table which he didn't seem to represent purpose it was designed to serve. Instead it supported the weight of Red Queens parts. The young ex-knight had stripped her down to have a good look at her engine. He had found some useful tools in Dante's basement and didn't bother to ask before he had taken them but the older hunter didn't seem to mind anyway. Dante was quite interested in his roommate's work. He sat on the sofa across from Nero and watched the young man's skillful hands. For him, that was better entertainment than any TV show. He didn't disturb the young man. Nero seemed relaxed but mindful, a state of mind which Dante wanted to see more often in the young hunter. He couldn't really understand the extent of Nero's work on his sword. The blade was a masterpiece. Smiling softly, Nero put Red Queen back together, undisturbed by Dante's watchful eyes. When he was done, he stood from his position on the floor and took a playful swing at the empty room. Nero grabbed the blunt side with his Devil Bringer and gave the gear shift a gentle pull to rev her alive. The heat didn't bother him too much; his claws were used to it by now. He considered giving her a nice spin but Nero doubted, Dante would like to see how he could rip the floor of his office apart, even though it would be exciting to watch. Satisfied with the purring sword in his hands, Nero took a last swing at thin air to speed up the cooling and brought his sword back at its usual space, next to the desk.

He leaned Red Queen against the wall next to Rebellion, both polished and gleaming in the dying light of the day breaking through the window. They were both deadly but different. Rebellion was massive, allowing Dante to use full force behind his strikes, both edges sharp enough to cut whatever demon stood in his way. Red Queen was lighter, faster and her engine might have been a pain to maintain but it was worth every moment. Nero just loved the feeling of revving the sword to full power, sending tremors up his arm every time. He loved the smell of it and the heat. Yes, he had burned himself when he had picked the blade up for the first time. He had done so what he remembered as countless times in the beginning but burns healed fast, too fast for anyone to notice, what made them call him a prodigy at swordsmanship back at the order. He had been one of the youngest ever knighted. But that was all in the past. Still, he wouldn't give up his blade. Red Queen was his to carry and he would do so until the day he lost his last fight, and in fact, his life.

A light tingle ran up his arm as he passed the black suitcase on his way back and Nero gave it a slight frown. He had to admit that he was curious about that thing. It seemed so carelessly stuffed underneath the table but Nero was sure that it was a weapon. It had to be; Dante kept so many of them around. But he couldn't imagine what kind of weapon a suitcase could be. He considered asking Dante but what happened earlier between them had left a strange mood inside the office that hat kept them both from talking.

The hourglass. It had been a close call, Nero knew that much. But what had astonished him had been Dante's reaction. Nero knew what fear smelled like. He didn't like that smell, it had been around him on many occasions. It was an unpleasant smell. But today he had picked it up from Dante, something that never happened before. Fear and Dante didn't mingle so easily in his imagination. Blue eyes met paler ones and they both just stared at each other for a moment. Dante cared, Nero knew that much. He had done so since they met in Fortuna a year ago. Now that he thought about it, it felt calming to have someone like that again in his life. Since he had lost Kyrie, Nero had the feeling that something was missing. It was more than just acceptance. Love? He wouldn't take it that far. It was more like his own being resonating inside another person, a feeling that was very intimate. Sometimes Dante gave him that feeling but in a different way than Kyrie. Less demanding and expecting, more accepting at the same time. _We are the same, you and I_  he remembered these words like they were engraved into the inside of his skull. The same. Never before had he heard that from anyone. _Different_ \- that was what he always had been. Even before he got his Devil Bringer. But Dante had met him for the first time and had accepted him for what he was without a second thought. The same.

A soft sigh left his mouth and Nero's shoulders slumped in defeat. "Hey Dante."

"Hm?"

"I want to try something, so" The ex-knight scratched the back of his head. "If it doesn't work out, just knock some sense back into me like you did last time, 'kay?"

"You sure you want to try this again, kid? The price you have to pay for time magic is not worth it in most cases." Dante didn't seem too excited about it.

"What? Too tired to get back on your feet, old man? Fine, just sit back and watch then." Nero knew Dante would keep an eye on him anyway. He didn't need to tease the man but he felt like it would lighten the mood. His brows knitted together in concentration. It was hard to get used to his new power. There were no clues; he had to find out for himself. Nero felt the sand shifting again in a different direction than before. It had to be right. If not, well, he didn't want to think about it. Not too much, he thought. He used the hourglass before too much sand trickled away.

Dante sat back, his eyes focused on Nero. Somehow he found himself wishing that the young man had never gotten his hands on this particular item. It was too dangerous. He trusted Nero but that was not the point. And then, in a blink of an eye, Nero vanished. Or more likely, got the timing right this time and moved too fast for him to follow. The magazine on his desk flipped open, he heard the balls on the pool table cracking and scatter at the same time, and a rush of air from behind him was accompanied by a ghostly touch at his neck. He turned his head but couldn't see his roommate anywhere. A low growl came from the back of his throat. He didn't like it. Doors flew open and were closed again upstairs. But before he knew, Nero stood at the window next to the entrance, hands pushed against the sill behind him for support. He had a smug grin on his face but Dante didn't miss the elevated heart rate or the fact that Nero needed to catch his breath. That was the price the young mans body had to pay for only a few seconds of time magic.

"I made it to every room this time."

"I could tell. Just don't do it again." Dante crossed his legs.

"Jealous?" The older hunter's eyes widened as he saw Nero wrap a familiar piece of white fabric around his right arm. His own hand reached for his pocket. How did he miss that? Nero saw the perplexity on his face and chuckled. "I'll head out. Get some air. Don't wait for me."

"Hey, Ne-" He had no chance to finish what he wanted to say before the young man had vanished in front of his eyes and the door fell close. The ex-knight had used his hourglass again. Pale eyes focused on the empty spot next to his desk. Red Queen was missing. "Damn it!"

 

 

* * *

 

 

Nero ached to fight again. Red Queen should be in top condition again and he wanted to test her. In a city like this, he was bound to find one or two demons. Using his right arm, he should have no problem finding them. He didn't have to think about which way would be best. There was only one edifice in this city that got his attention like no other. The tall tower didn't look like an actual part of Capulet City. It was different. His feet felt heavy suddenly as time flew back to normal. He almost got the hang of it now but the pain in his chest told him, that he should be more careful. Ignoring the strain on his body, Nero made his way down the 13th Avenue. The familiar roar of a bike made him pause and he grinned as he spotted Lady, most likely on her way to Dante's shop. She recognized him too and stopped in front of him.

"What brings you here? I hope it isn't business?" He smiled and shook his head. "No? Then what do you need that for?" Her eyes were fixed on Red Queen resting on his back.

"Thought maybe I would need her. It's a big city, who knows what will happen?"

"I see. Well, hop on. Let's see if I can find some entertainment for you." He jumped onto her bike; there was no need to ask him twice. With Lady involved, there was even a chance that he would earn some money. The bike made a u-turn and sped down the road.

"What's that?" Nero asked as they came closer to the bizarre looking tower.

"That's Temen-ni-gru. It's the tower Dante's brother resurrected to open the way into the demon world. We cleaned it out before but the demons just keep coming back. It's no place to hang around, better keep that in mind."

"Did you know Dante's brother?" Nero knew he should ask Dante instead but something told him, he wouldn't get an answer so easily.

"Vergil? Yes I knew him. Why?" Lady eyed the young man over her shoulder. So Vergil was his name. The family of the older hunter held many inconsistencies and Nero wasn't so sure he would find out everything about them.

"Who was he? What kind of" He didn't know how to phrase it. Lady was silent for a few moments, passing the tower on the left side. Then she sighed.

"He was Dante's twin brother but he wasn't anything like him."

"Yamato was his sword, right?" The way everyone talked about Dante's brother sounded like the twin had lost his life. But Nero wanted to know for sure. If Vergil was Dante's twin, owner of a sword like Yamato, he must have been powerful and killing him must have been no easy task.

"Yes, that's right. It was Vergil's until the day it broke in half. After that, it was found by the Order at some point, back here in the human world. Until you got it. Right?" She had heard the story from Dante one day after the hunter had come back from Fortuna. She had asked him because she found it hard to believe, that Dante could let go of his brother's sword again after regaining it. But it had been true. The proof sat behind her.

"Hm." Nero nodded. "So That means he is dead, right?" He had to know. But there was no way he could ask Dante.

"I don't think Vergil would have ever given up his sword. I don't know what happened. He was trapped in the demon world some years ago. But the fact Yamato was broken and back in this world without him  Yes I think he is dead." A dead twin brother. Nero wasn't too keen on asking Dante questions about him. He never had a real family. The young man couldn't imagine what losing someone like a twin would feel like and to be honest, he was glad about it. Losing Credo and Kyrie had been hard enough. "We are almost there," Lady informed him.

"Where?" That was right. He hadn't asked her where they were going.

"Your next assignment, silly. I wanted Dante to handle it but knowing him, he would have given it to you anyway."

They ended up getting rid of some Marionettes that terrorized the residents of a hotel near the city boarder. Nero had fun testing his new ability but he also got to know his limit very soon. It would need some getting used to, to master this technique. The strain it added to his body was immense. But he understood the concept now. He could manipulate his own time but it appeared to him like the world around him either sped up or slowed down, depending on the timing he chose to activate the hourglass. He also had to decide on the amount of time he wanted to manipulate. If it was too much, he feared that his body wouldn't withstand the stress. He had to be careful. His heart rate was used to pay the price for his new ability. It didn't adjust. If he used the hourglass for one minute to speed his personal time up, his heart would beat 50 times. But a minute of his manipulated time were only a few seconds in real time causing his heart to race for 50 heart beats. The principle reversed if he slowed his personal time down, making it appear as if his heart stopped beating. It was a dangerous game and he was sure, that he could survive it only because of his demonic inheritance.

 

* * *

 

 

"So basically, if I use it for a fake teleport, I should be fine. Don't know what will happen if I try something more though." Nero had explained his findings to Dante after his return but the older hunter wasn't happy about them.

"It's dangerous, kid. It could kill you."

"You don't know that. You on the other hand should have died so many goddamned times by now and you are still alive.  You know what? I think you would use the hourglass if you could. You got so many Devil Arms, I bet you didn't give a shit if they cost you anything. Maybe you are just jealous." Nero shifted his weight to his right leg, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"That what you think?" The older hunter threw a box with his half eaten pizza onto his desk without looking. It seemed like an effortless gesture but Dante was losing his cool. He fought hard against it, but it was a fight he would lose eventually, and he knew it. Nero had that effect on him lately. When it came down to the young mans life, Dante couldn't help but get an uneasy feeling.

"That's exactly what I think." Nero didn't move from his spot in the middle of the office as Dante turned to face him.

"Well, maybe you are right then. But maybe that's because I'm just that much better than you are. When it comes to demonic blood, I just got the upper hand on you." Arrogance was his last stand in a fight against himself.

"Yeah? Maybe I should smash your face into the floor, so we can see who got the upper hand, old man. It sure felt good last time." The ex-knight cracked the knuckles on his left hand and flexed his claws.

"I'd like to see you try." Confidence was clearly written on Dante's face but the phone interrupted their threats. Dante rolled his eyes but slammed his hand onto the desk and grabbed the receiver. It was a short conversation during which Nero didn't move at all. For him, it still wasn't over. But Dante foiled his plans when he turned around again. "Duty calls." The older hunter grabbed his red coat and reached for Rebellion. Unsure if he was invited or not Nero watched him getting ready. "You sure you won't need that?" Dante asked and nodded in Red Queens direction. "Better get moving. We don't have all day." A small smile formed on Nero's lips as he realized, that Dante wouldn't let their personal quarrels interfere with business.

 

* * *

 

 

The waterfront was a shady area of Capulet City. It was a place ruled by corruption and greed, and not many dared to come here uninvited or without a good reason. The river wound itself through the southern part of the city. The water was dark and sluggish and smelled like chemicals and decay. The two hunters had left Dante's bike behind and scouted the area on foot. The client had spoken of demons which came out at night, and had murdered seven dock workers. Dante didn't come here often and it was the first time that he had the dubious pleasure to be hired by a local mafia patriarch to deal with the problem.

"You sure they're gonna pay?" Nero had only heard stories about organized crime groups. Luckily Fortuna never had to deal with such problems. But maybe the Order had been worse anyway. Dealing with the Mob left a sour taste in his mouth but Dante just smiled at him.

"Well, I'm sure they will pay. But they are not the sort of usual clients."

"What do you mean?"

"Greed is a powerful desire. Some will succumb to it rather easily, inviting demons to posses them. Don't worry. Most of them are small fries with hardly any difference between them and mere criminals. Some humans might even surpass them when it comes to their black souls." Dante walked lazily beside his young partner, not worried in the slightest.

"You mean we are working for demons?" Disbelieve and antipathy were dripping from Nero's voice.

"Ah, don't sweat it, kid. You'd be surprised how often that's the case.  Well, here we are. And look at that, it's like a pajama party." The older slayer pulled his guns. Six shrouded figures were floating in their direction. Two of them were armed with giant rusty scissors while the other four carried bloody scythes. They hid their faced behind masks but Dante knew exactly what kind of demons they were. "Watch out, kid. These guys know their business."

Nero followed Dante's example and pulled Blue Rose. He watched as Dante acted all trigger happy and showered the first Death Scissor with bullets. He could see that the powerful guns dealt a fair amount of damage, but the first few rounds were not enough to bring the demon down. Blue Rose would be clearly at a disadvantage in competition with Ebony and Ivory. He tried anyway and decided that he would have to make it count. Charging his shots with demonic power from his Devil Bringer, Nero aimed at the first Death Scythe that came in his direction. The impact wounded the demon but before he could shoot again, the Death Scythe vanished through the wall of a warehouse and his bullets forced smoking holes into the surface. Cursing, Nero took a step back as he had to deal with the next demon.

In the meantime, Dante had taken down the first of the Scissors and now used Rebellion to deflect a strike from one of the Scythes behind him. The voices of the demons echoed around them. His pale eyes darted back and forth between two demons and Nero who was awfully close to one of the warehouses. The kid needed to watch his back, or he would find a rusty scythe impaled between his shoulder blades. "Nero, watch out behind you," he warned.

"For fucks sake, I got it, old man! Mind your own business already!" The ex-knight had thought that they had covered that kind of conversation on their last job. He didn't like to repeat himself. Nero was barely able to dodge the next attack; the demons were getting too close for comfort. Switching Blue Rose for Red Queen, Nero forced his blade in between the pair of deadly scissors with everything he had, and with a satisfying sound of snapping metal, the demonic weapon broke in two and Red Queen ripped the demon apart.

Dante was nearly done with the second demon when Nero finished his first one. But the young man obviously knew how to take this kind of enemy down, so he bit his tongue as one of the Scythes almost got his partner from behind. To Nero's credit, he had to admit, that the ex-knight evaded the strike in time, even if it had been a close call, and the younger slayer had to rely on his hourglass. Dante gritted his teeth. He'd better take care of his own share first and deal with Nero's afterwards. That way, he could end it without hurting the young hunter's pride. A sudden whirlwind took Dante up into the air but he used the momentum to evade the next attack. Ebony and Ivory shot relentlessly bullet after bullet at the flying demons; the sound of them was like music to his ears, like a droning rock song. But that song was interrupted by a sudden yelp and the following crash of Nero's body hitting a wall.

The younger hunter faced two Death Scythes, one of them nearly finished and now enraged. It threw its scythe at the fallen ex-knight, who could do nothing besides lifting Red Queen in his defense but the blow ripped the sword out of his hand. It clattered to the ground, out of reach, and the second demon took his chance and brought his weapon down onto the half-breed. Nero's eyes widened in shock. He drew Blue Rose and pulled the trigger but the scythe hit him hard, ripping a deep wound into his left side and the gun out of his hand. He could hear the familiar sound of breaking bones; two of his rips. Nero's scream echoed between the walls and mixed with demonic voices. He choked on his own blood, as the gory scythe was pulled out and injured his lung.

Dante whirled around, his eyes wide in horror, as he watched the enraged Death Scythe charge at Nero to deal the final blow. It wasn't the demon that frightened him. It was Nero. The young man lay there, his back against the wall he had crashed into, and didn't move. It wasn't like he hadn't been able to. Dante knew Nero had more fight in him than that. He just didn't want to. It was like the young man had accepted his fate and waited for the strike to come. "Nero!" The scream ripped from Dante's throat, only a second before the blade of the scythe would reach his fallen partner. Adrenalin shot through his veins, as fear gripped him. The energy from his Devil Trigger forced the remaining Death Scythe in front of him back. A powerful strike ripped the demon apart, as Dante dashed in between Nero and the deadly weapon that flew his way. It was deflected by Rebellion before it could harm the fallen hunter, and a howling roar passed bared teeth, deformed into sharp fangs. The heavy broadsword split the last two demons in half in a single strike but that didn't cause Dante to de-trigger. He stood there, with his back turned to Nero, shaking. The younger man still lay on his back and looked up at his partner's demonic form. Neither of them spoke at that moment.

It was Nero, who moved first. He came back on his feet with some difficulty, and suppressed a moan as pain shot through his side. He took a few steps forward, facing the river, eyes searching for his lost revolver. But Dante's voice stopped him. The older hunter had finally de-triggered but his voice still had its dark edge.

"Why the hell didn't you summon Yamato?" Dante was furious. Adrenalin was still rushing through his veins, spiking his rage even more as he whirled around and grabbed the front of Nero's hoody, pulling the younger man close. "What's wrong with you? Do you want to get yourself killed?" The ex-knight avoided direct eye contact and turned his head to the side. Dante pushed the silent ex-knight backwards and saw him stumble before he could regain his footing. Nero knew he had fucked up and there was no way to deny it. If Dante hadn't been there, he would have been ripped to shreds. Nero could feel his bones knitting together again, and his left hand let go of the dark fabric above his ribs. Breathing became easier again and the pain lessened. "Talk to me, Nero!" Still being ignored, Dante took Ebony and aimed at the ex-knight.

But Nero just shot him a side glance and shrugged. The bullet that followed grazed him underneath his left shoulder; a warning that Dante wasn't joking anymore. He put his hand, which had been jerked back by the impact, back into his pocket but still refused to talk. Instead, he just stood his ground as Dante approached him again, Rebellion in hand. "Don't make me hurt you," the older half demon hissed, and they both knew their silent arrangement was over. It had ended the moment Nero was ready to let himself be defeated. Dante had enough. He would get his answers now or he would force them out of the young man. When not even the sight of Rebellion nearing made an impression on the brooding hunter, Dante kicked out Nero's legs from under him and watched him fall before he straddled the young man. "Nero."

There was no room for his demoting nickname in this situation, Nero noticed. Rebellion pierced the ground right above his left shoulder, and the sword's edge came down to press against the skin of his throat. The feeling of cool metal made him swallow but Nero knew it was an empty threat. Dante wouldn't kill him. It was just pent up rage from the fight, and Nero kept listening to the voice inside him as he ignored Dante's action and waited for the older hunter's anger to fade.

"Don't make me," Dante repeated, as he saw the passive hunter underneath him. But Rebellion left Nero's throat and clattered to the ground, as two strong hands took hold of the hoody again and pulled the ex-knight up until his lips met Dante's. It wasn't the kind of gentle, longing first kiss the younger one had had with Kyrie. It was a heated clashing of lips and teeth, instigated through the man above him but he could feel himself responding almost instantly. He had longed for that kiss but as soon as he realized what he was doing, he tried to stop it. One of Dante's hands sneaked behind his head and held him in place, as the older refused to end it. Nero started to protest but not even he himself could make out the words he uttered in a mix of surprise and rising anger. Only when both of his hands pushed at Dante's chest, the older hunter let go and they were both looking at each other, still panting.

Facing his refusal, Dante came to his senses, and his mind, that had been overwritten by the fear of loss kicked into gear again. He reached for Rebellion and tried to stand, as Nero held him back and gripped his wrist. "What was that?" The younger demanded to know. Sighing, Dante wanted to pull away but the hold of Nero's Devil Bringer was relentless.

"Forget it, it was nothing." His shoulders fell with that statement, he couldn't prevent it.

"Yeah, right, felt like nothing for sure," Nero scoffed, displeased with the lie. "Want to give me an honest answer this time?"

Dante's anger flared again, and he looked down at the young man still lying underneath him. "Because you are always honest with me, right?" He pulled again but Nero's grip became just stronger until it bruised his wrist, threatening to snap it.

"You like me," Nero said in realization and Dante stopped to struggle. Their eyes met again, and the paler ones narrowed. Nero's lips spread into a wide grin. "You idiot really like me."

Hating to be mocked, Dante's shoulders squared again, and he felt the urge to wipe that grin out of that handsome face. "So what? You should be happy that someone does." But Nero's grin became even wider as he encountered no denial.

"I am." The pressure at Dante's wrist lessened and the older hunter was pulled down again. Nero stretched up until their foreheads touched and that grin became a gentle smile. "I really am." Their lips met again as Dante finally freed his hand and used it to hold the young man closer. Tongues moved against each other, tasting what had been forbidden and regretting that it didn't happen sooner. Nero lay back again, pulling the older hunter with him and tangled his claws into pale hair while his human hand wandered over Dante's back, the soreness of healed bones and bruises wiped from his mind.

The kiss became heated again, as hands explored unknown terrain, gripping, tugging and groping every inch they could reach. Dante's hands found the warm skin of Nero's back as they reached underneath the fabric of the young mans hoody and shirt, while his teeth nipped at Nero's bottom lip. Hot breaths mingled between them before Dante dominated the kiss once again, pulling Nero even closer. The ex-knight didn't protest this time, and instead, reached for the strong legs that still straddled his hips. He followed them up until he reached Dante's hips and followed his waistline until human fingers and demon claws alike smoothed over chiseled abs which felt rock hard under his touch.

As much as Dante loved what they were doing, it wasn't the right time nor the right place to do it and so he let out a soft sigh and touched his forehead again against Nero's to look into the young mans eyes. He needed some answers - now. "Why didn't you trigger?" His voice was calm but firm and his fingers began to tangle themselves into Nero's snowy locks at his neck.

"I couldn't. It doesn't happen anymore," Nero admitted finally. He looked at his Devil Bringer between them and flexed his claws.

"Since when? Why haven't you told me before?" Dante leaned back again and took hold of the demonic hand, eyes searching Nero's face. Something so important was nothing Nero should have kept hidden.

"I don't know. Someday it happened. I didn't really notice at first. Demon hunting in Fortuna was nothing that made me trigger, you know? First time I noticed was the night they killed Kyrie. I was so furious, I thought I would trigger but I never did." The ex-knight sighed. It wasn't easy to talk about it but he knew he would feel better with all that out of the way later.

"Show me Yamato." Dante held out his hand but the younger hunter shook his head no. "Nero."

"I can't. I can't summon it. Or anything I took for that matter." He tried anyway but nothing happened. The look at Dante's face was displeased.

"You should have told me that earlier. Anything else? Tell me everything, no more secrets Nero. I mean it." The brows of the ex-knight knitted together as he tried to find the right words to describe what was happening to him.

" _Something_ is talking to me," he said slowly. "Inside my head. I heard it for the first time when I got Yamato, saying that it needs more power, that it's not enough. I can't get rid of it." Yamato, the sword of his brother talking was nothing Dante could take lightly. Concern knit his brows together and he let go of Nero's hand.

"Let's head home. I've got to check on a few things." The moment between them was ruined and Dante got on his feet again, thoughts running inside his head. Nero watched him carefully, rubbing his arms as a sudden chill took hold of him. His eyes scanned the surroundings for his weapons. He knew he should feel better, now that Dante knew about his secret but he didn't. Slowly Nero climbed back onto his feet and gathered Blue Rose and Red Queen before he followed Dante back to his motorcycle.

 

* * *

 

 

The younger son of Sparda wasted no time and buried himself in the attic between stacks of dusty tomes. He had no real hope to find the answers to his questions in them but he needed some time to think and the ancient texts gave his mind the food it needed to find new hints. There were no books about him or his brother, that was for sure, and you could find hardly any written word about Yamato. The blade had been used to separate the two worlds. That's what the legend said but that was it. What the hell was happening to Nero?

Said young man was now sitting downstairs on the chair behind Dante's desk, hands clasped in front of his face and rubbed his forehead against them in an agitated gesture. Things didn't turn out like he had imagined them. True, he didn't anticipate his relationship with Dante to change in a dramatic manner. He didn't want that to happen. He needed the man to be his provoking, self-assured and laid-back self but he had imagined his own feelings to change. But they hadn't. There was no fuzzy, warm and sickening sweet feeling inside him, no butterflies and sure as hell no pastel colored light shining down on everything, making the problems in his life appear less unpleasant. Nothing like that. He searched his own feelings and concluded the results for himself. Yes, he felt drawn to the older hunter; both, emotionally and physically. But it wasn't like what he used to feel with Kyrie in the beginning. It didn't make him jittery or anxious. Thinking about Dante returning his feelings felt reassuring and calming. True, he felt some excitement about it but that was it. Maybe that had to be enough. Maybe that was all his preoccupied mind could muster right at the moment, and maybe that was all he needed right now. But he wasn't sure.

The ringing phone shook him out of his thoughts. He flinched at the sound and reached for the receiver. "Devil May Cry," he said in a voice that didn't betray his inner turmoil. The first thing he heard was the password. That simplified things. So it was a real job. "How may I help you?" He offered the unsure sounding person at the other end. The job sounded easy enough. A single demon and by the sound of it, he wouldn't even have to search for it. "I'm on my way." The line went dead. He considered telling Dante about the job offer. But then again, he didn't feel up to facing the man right now. And Dante seemed to be busy anyway. So Nero left him a note, written in his usual hurried, slightly untidy handwriting, which would tell the older hunter about his whereabouts, if he wouldn't make it back in time before the older half-breed came looking for him. Reaching for Red Queen and Blue Rose, Nero left the shop.

 

* * *

 

 

The directions were easy to follow and it wouldn't take him long to reach his destination. It had started to rain again and lightning jerked across the sky, followed by roaring thunder. The client was a middle aged woman, standing in front of a bar. Looking at the place, Nero got an idea of how she had gotten the password. This place looked like somewhere Dante would hang around. And he knew he was right about that, as soon as she asked him about the older hunter. Nero told her, that Dante couldn't make it but that it wasn't going to be a problem. He would take care of it. She told him about the demon. It roamed around an abandoned house down the street since this morning and it didn't seem like it would leave again on its own. As if to enforce her story, the roar of the mentioned demon rang out to them and made the woman in front of Nero take a step back. The hunter's eyes followed the wet shining road, until they found the house he was looking for. A nervous comment about the payment drew his attention back.

"It will be the usual, right?" Apparently, it wasn't the first time that she had been in need of Dante's services, and it seemed like the two had come to an arrangement already.

"And that would be?" Nero wanted to know.

"Oh, you know. Dante likes to take his fee in free drinks. If I had known how much he can take before he gets drunk, I guess I would have reconsidered that offer. Anyway, I'm not someone who goes back on her word." Nero sighed heavily as he heard this. No wonder his partner never got rid of his debt. But there wasn't much he could do about it now. A deal was a deal.

"I guess it will be the usual then." With that, he lifted Red Queen on his shoulder and gave her a short nod before he left the shelter of her porch and stepped out into the rain.

The house was old and, as Nero hoped, empty except from the lurking demon on the roof. Outside, the thunderstorm was raging full force by now, and he could hear the wind blowing through shattered windows and cracks in the brickwork. Rain was dripping from the ceiling; a wet promise, that he wouldn't have to break his way through the roof. Nero looked up the staircase. Four floors.

The stairs were dry, part of the roof above still intact, what made Nero hope, that they wouldn't break under his feet on his way up but the creaking sounds caused him to doubt it. However, he made it all the way up without an unpleasant incident.

And there it was, lurking at the very edge of the roof. The Blitz hissed at him, as he made his way through the hole in the roof. _Just one demon_ , Nero though and grinned, Blue Rose in hand and he delivered the first shot. He knew better than to use Red Queen. On his first encounter with one of these demons, the swift sword attack had sent him crashing back to the ground stunned. The electricity shield of this breed was something to behold. The shot rang loud but didn't hit its target, as the demon evaded the assault by teleporting behind the hunter, aiming to strike, leaving Nero just a split second to leap out of the way. He aimed Blue Rose again and shot. He knew, he would need three hits to force the shield down but charging enough energy into his gun took precious time. Cursing under his breath, he knew he wouldn't make it in time before the next attack. Nero thought about using his hourglass but before he had made up his mind, it was already too late. He tried shooting without his new power anyway, and the second shot hit as the beast released crackling energy, crushing down from above, forcing Nero to jump back. Still in mid air, he shot again, grinning as he saw the shield breaking, leaving the demon open for attacks.

But his victory rush was short lived, as the thunder strike hit the roof under his feet, causing it to collapse. It gave way under his boots, and he fell down between balks and other parts of the roof, some smoldering from the assault. He felt the impact as he hit the floor below but decayed floorboards couldn't withstand the weight. He crashed down another level but couldn't roll out of the way of debris falling down in time. It crashed down on him, knocking Nero on his back. His leg was being twisted in the attempt to evade, and something heavy with sharp edges hit him right above his left hipbone, causing him to grunt out a strangled scream in a mix of pain and surprise that bestowed him a mouth full of dust that came down the same time.

Now moaning and coughing, Nero tried to get rid of the dirt covering his face to open his eyes, while his right hand felt around the edges of the piece of roof that had impaled him. It went right through him and poked out on his back. As he got a glance at it through tearing eyes, Nero had to suppress the urge to vomit. "Fuck," he cursed through gritted teeth and tried hard to even out his breaths. The pain was excruciating and he knew he didn't have much time left. The ex-knight could hear the demon from above, seeking him. Panic rushed through him as he realized the loss of his weapons. Red Queen lay next to him but out of reach, buried under wooden bars that had caught fire, but he couldn't see Blue Rose. Sweat mixed with dirt on his face, as Nero gripped the piece impaling him right above his skin. He forced himself to take a few short breaths and pulled. A scream echoed through the now burning building and added to the howl of the frenzied demon. Blood pooled underneath the hunter and on his stomach as wood and metal were torn from his body with a sickening, slick sound. He had to hurry. There was no time to get rid of the smaller pieces still embedded in his wound, no time to do anything to slow his blood loss. He had to take care of that later if he wanted to get out of here alive.

Nero lay still on his back, as the piece slid out of his Bringer and clattered to the floor beside him. He tried to catch the breath he had been holding and fought against the pain threatening him to black out. He knew he needed his Devil Trigger to get out of here. But it wouldn't come. He tried to summon Yamato's power and he could feel it ablaze inside of him, building up through the pain but he couldn't release it. His demonic healing kicked in, preventing his body from dying from blood loss. He could feel the pain from flesh healing around small pieces of wood inside him. Now he would have to reopen his wound later to get them out. Hissing, the young hunter rolled to the side and pushed himself up.

More debris crashed down beside him, as the raging demon had found its prey and roared at him. Nero knew he had no choice. He could already see the alarming red color of the unstable demon, could hear the electricity brimming in the air that was so thick with smoke, every breath he took ached in his lungs, threatening to suffocate him. Summoning the dangerous power from within, Nero could feel the energy of the hourglass stirring inside his right arm. He could feel it shifting while he was carefully bringing his mind to bend time in the right direction. How much time? How much time would he need to finish the demon off and escape the collapsing building? He didn't know. The sands of time were running back and forth, shifting uncertainly as he couldn't make up his mind fast enough. Nero could hear the Blitz charging at him, never using the direct approach, but teleporting too fast to follow from side to side, bouncing off walls and bringing the ceiling above them to collapse with an alarming crashing sound. The young man could feel the heat closing in, burning pieces fell down on him, charring his pale skin and a gust of unbearable hot air and smoke engulfed him.

That was the moment he released his power. He didn't know if it would be enough but he had to try, or there would be no second chance. Time seemed to slow down around him, came almost to a crawling halt. Everything lost the intensity of color and the sounds became low and stretched. Right next to the ex-knight was the Blitz, lingering in mid air, claws stretched out to maim him, rip him apart as its last act. Nero reached for Red Queen and delivered a swift strike, decapitating the dreadful demon. The movement was flawless and when time would flow back into its normal pace, it would be a motion too fast to be seen. The Blitz would explode, for not even the hourglass was able to turn back time and stop the deadly chain reaction, set in motion moments ago. But Nero would not stick around to witness the end of the creature. One glance upwards made clear, how close he had cheated death this time. He forced his feet back into motion; a still dull ache was beginning to spread in his chest, indicating the strain his heart was under. He had to make haste.

_Out of time_ , the phrase had a new meaning to him. _Hurry hurry!_ More stumbling than running, he made his way to the staircase. Stairs - no time for that. His chest hurt; it hurt so bad. Nero took a deep breath and jumped over the banister, bracing himself for the impact. It came swift and ripped his already healing wound open again. Warm blood ran down his hip and leg, pain flaring inside again. He didn't bite back the scream that ripped from his throat; he had no energy left for that. _Almost there. Almost._ It was like a mantra inside his head, the only thing that kept him going right now. He wished he could stop the hourglass, close the rip he had torn into time. But he couldn't. How much longer? How much longer would it take to stop? He hadn't used that much power, had he? Panic started to rise in him, as he stumbled outside the building, falling down onto is knees, clutching his claws into the fabric of his hoody, as if that would ease his pain. It didn't. Nothing could until time was set back into its normal motion. He had screwed up this time. Dante would be furious. Dante. Now Nero wished the older would be here to make it right again. Clean up his mess. But he wasn't, wouldn't be and chances were, he wouldn't see the older man again this time. A new panic spread inside the young man. The fear of losing Dante right after the two of them were finally getting closer numbed his mind. Nero let out an agonized, strangled scream as he started to shake. And then it hit him; so hard like a frontal crash into a wall, ripped his entire being back into place in his surroundings. The colors returned to their normal intensity, blinding him with their brightness. The sound became its normal roaring of flames and crashing of the collapsing building behind him and his heart was finally paying its toll for the abuse of time magic. He could feel it racing so fast, he was sure it would give out on him. Nero couldn't catch his breath, sweat was pouring down his face and back and he was shaking so hard, that his arms couldn't support him any longer. His breath hitched and his vision tuned black. _Out of time_ , he thought and slipped into darkness.

 

* * *

 

 

The telephone at the shop rang out in the silence of the dark room again. It had done so for the last few minutes but no one answered. The remaining occupant of the shop was still in the attic, absorbed in his books. He considered the phone absentmindedly for a short moment but it was already after nine and who ever needed him tonight would have to wait. This was more important right now. Thoughts about Nero and Vergil kept his mind busy and left no room for something else. Ignoring the persistent ringing, Dante reached for another book.

 


	9. Yamato (part I)

**_'l sol tace_ **

Chapter IX

**Yamato (part I)**

 

"For hell's sake," Dante growled, as the phone kept ringing. It had done so for the last half an hour, and who ever wanted to speak to him, wouldn't give up so easily as it seemed. First, the half demon had ignored it, a skill he had attained a long time ago during his countless naps, but right now the sound pierced through his carefully built up mental walls of phlegm and was demanding his attention. But Dante couldn't afford that right now. Nero needed his help with Yamato, everything else could wait. That brought his thoughts back to… "Nero! Hey, kid! Answer the god dammed phone already! It's not gonna bite you!" Nothing, not even a movement downstairs. "Nero?" Even if the younger man had fallen asleep, the phone or Dante's voice would have woken him up by now. But that would mean… "Shit!" Now suddenly in a hurry, Dante left his place on the dusty floor of the attic, and came down the stairs, pounding. His long legs took several steps at the same time until his boots came crashing into contact with the wooden floor downstairs. He had been right. No sight of Nero anywhere. The young man must have left earlier.

The phone was still ringing, and as Dante made his way over to the desk, he saw the note his roommate had left for him. Grabbing the receiver in his usual way, he reached for the piece of paper with his other hand. "Devil May Cry." His eyes scanned the note. There were just two short lines in Nero's handwriting.

_Taking care of a job. Won't take long.  
52th Avenue – Jane Connor_

And without a doubt, it was the voice of the same Jane Connor at the other end of the line. "Dante! Where the hell have you been?"

"Sorry, have been busy, old lady. Tell me what happened." He had great sympathy for the middle aged women. Sometimes, he even considered her a friend, and free drinks were something, he never would say no to.

"It's the boy you sent over. He's in trouble." Well, no shit. Nero could brace himself for some telling-off as soon as he got his hands on the ex-knight. Taking care of a job, right. In his condition, Nero shouldn't even be out there alone. What was he thinking?

"What happened, Jane?" Dante crushed the note in his hand.

"I don't know. He went to kill the demon, but now the entire house is on fire and when the fire department found him, he was laying on the street. It was terrible, Dante. There was so much blood, they thought he was dead, but when they saw his right arm, everything went out of control. I told them why he was here, but they wouldn't let me near him. We thought he was dead," she repeated, clearly shaken by what she had seen and Dante felt his rage coming back.

"Where is he now?" He had to find Nero – fast.

"I don't know. He woke up suddenly, like someone risen from the dead. I don't think he could hear me. He just kept going, and with the way he looked, no one dared to hold him back. I tried to call you, but…"

"I know you tried," Dante cut her short. He had to go, there was no time. He had to search for Nero. "Listen, Jane, I have to go. I must find the boy."

"Yes, you better hurry." She was right about that. The receiver hit the vintage phone, and he was already on his way out, only stopping to grab Ebony and Ivory.

52th Avenue wasn't far enough to take the bike. If Nero was conscious enough to know what he was doing, the young man would already be on his way back to the shop. Dante would be better off on foot, so he wouldn't miss the injured half-breed accidentally. The last drizzle outside stopped after Dante turned around the first corner. It left behind chilly, moist air that smelled intensely like everything the city had to offer at a night like this. Long since accustomed to the smell of this neighborhood, he ignored it and moved on.

The sound of heavy breathing and dragged steps let Dante halt his feet. He listened for a moment and changed his direction. The smell of blood became more prominent. He had to jump a chain-link fence that divided the narrow alley into two parking areas. Dante performed the movement with almost playful ease. He could hear the source of the sound getting closer, but wasn't prepared for the sight that greeted him as he rounded the next corner. Red, gleaming eyes, which indicated a nearing Devil Trigger, parted lips that were looking too pale underneath, but were covered in bright, red blood. They were pulled back into a grimace of strained exhaustion and pain. Nero's skin was ghostly pale and stood in harsh contrast to his right arm. The young man's Devil Bringer was pulsing with cool blue light that was more intense than Dante could remember. It pulsed in synch with Nero's rapid heartbeat. The youth's clothes were drenched in blood, water and dirt and torn at several places. Underneath laid bruised, ripped skin that hadn't healed yet. There was no trace of the ex-knights weapons.

Dante opened his mouth, but his charming voice failed him for the first time. If Nero was aware of his presence, he didn't let it show. Instead, the young ex-knight presumed unsteadily in the direction of the shop; feet dragging across the ground. When he was only two steps away from Dante, the older found his voice again. "Nero." The sound of his name seemed to reach the young man. The blue of his eyes was still lost in demonic red but his breath hitched a bit and Nero paused his steps, right next to Dante. The older male followed the traces of blood his young companion had left behind on the street with his eyes.

Nero didn't recognize his partner, was still too far gone to know what was happening. It was sheer will that kept him going, further and further. He couldn't stop, he couldn't rest; he had to make it back. Home, Nero thought, safe. His thoughts were reduced to the absolute minimum, limited to single words and emotions by his clouded mind. He would be there and then Nero could rest – finally. His own name tore through his thoughts, spoken in a familiar voice he had longed to hear. It sounded like an unspoken promise of safeness. His feet refused to take another step; his will to carry on wiped out from the sound.

"It's okay." He knew that was an absurd lie. Nothing was okay. Nero felt terrible. Everything just _ached_ , and the demonic energy inside him had build up too much and was close to overpowering him any moment now. He would lose control. But the lie sounded too good to resist. He wanted to believe in those simple words desperately, and the next line crushed his resistance. "I'm here now." There was nothing alarming behind those words, no trace of worry, anger or sadness. The familiar voice sounded calm, as if spoken to a confused child after a nightmare. And Nero let go, simple as that. Darkness came in a swift, engulfing motion; covering him like a blanket.

"Dan–te …" The name escaped the young man's parted lips in an exhausted exhale, and in the same moment, Nero's legs gave way underneath him. He fell forward, and only Dante's strong arm kept him from crushing face first into the ground. The older hunter adjusted the deadweight in his arms, until he could carry his fallen friend, one arm slung around Nero's back and one supporting his legs under Nero's knees. The young man offered neither help nor resistance, but lay unconscious in Dante's arms and left it up to the older man to carry him back to the shop. Not being one to disappoint, Dante hurried his steps and pressed Nero's body closer to his chest. The ex-knight reeked of blood; both his own and that of a demon. The smell of smoke was mingled with it and he could make out faint trances of burned flesh underneath all that, betraying the absence of burns on the pale skin. They had been there, Dante was sure about it. It gave him an idea of how serious the fight between Nero and the demon had been. Exhaling deeply, Dante forced himself to calm down. Nero was here now, alive. He would make sure to keep it that way.

The double doors gave way to the hunter's heavy boot kicking them open. Concern had contorted Dante's face into a grim grimace. The older hunter had feared so before, but by now he was sure that Nero was far from okay. The young man's heart was beating furiously and his demonic arm was still pulsing with unreleased energy. The ex-knight was frighteningly pale. He had lost a lot of blood but that should be fixed by his demon abilities. Yet, Nero's wounds wouldn't heal. The slick feeling of fresh, warm blood on Dante's hand was proof enough for that. The smell of it stirred Dante's anger inside again. How could Nero have been so careless?

He made his way over to the sofa. There was no time to lose. He left the young man there and hurried to the bathroom to get the first aid kit. Nero was shivering by the time he came back. The young man's clothes had to go first. Dante fumbled with the buckles of Nero's boots. At first he couldn't understand why such a simple task could cause him such problems, but then he realized that his own hands had started to tremble. Calm down, he scolded himself. He tore at the laces but they were impossible to untangle. The material was swollen from the rain water. As thin as Dante's patience ran by now, he simply made use of his strength and ripped them apart with a snapping sound. Nero's boots were tossed aside carelessly. His jeans followed shortly after and landed unceremoniously on the floor with a wet sounding thud. Next came Nero's hoody and shirt. Both items were ripped open so Dante wouldn't have to move Nero too much to remove them. For the first time, Dante had no eyes for the beauty of the younger man's body. His gaze scanned the pale skin for injuries and was soon fixed on the bloody gash on Nero's abdomen. Dante tore off his gloves with his teeth and tossed them aside to push one hand underneath his roommate. He could feel the exit wound mirroring the gash in front and cursed under his breath. "What have you been doing, kid?"

The wound wasn't clean enough to patch it up right away, and for the first time, Dante was grateful that Nero had lost consciousness so he could spare him some of the pain. The ex-knight's organs had been injured and Dante could see traces of demonic healing. It must have kicked in before it stopped and Nero's wounds had reopened. He was no physician, and frankly, Dante had no profound knowledge when it came down to this. He had relied on his demonic abilities his whole life and it had kept him alive. Being impaled with a broadsword was nothing you could get up and walk away from. But he could. And so could Nero, if the young man could use his Trigger. But one look at the ex-knight's right arm made clear that Yamato was acting different now, in the worst of possible moments. At this rate, Nero could die.

This was no time to hesitate. If Dante couldn't rely on demon blood, he would have to use alchemy. He hurried over to his desk and went through the drawers until he found the items he would need. Eying them first and then Nero's Devil Bringer, Dante got a bad feeling about it. There was no way to tell, how Yamato would react to any alchemical tampering right now. But what other choice did he have? Returning to the young man's side, Dante crouched down right next to him. He took the Vital Star and fixed his eyes on Nero as he used it on his fallen roommate. "C'mon, kid."

He could see the alchemical power seeping into Nero's body without any rejection. The older hunter released the breath he had been holding. Nero's skin regained a bit of its usual color and the young man took a deeper, calmer breath. "That was a close call," Dante sighed and ran a hand through his hair. The bleeding from Nero's wound lessened but didn't stop. Dante waited a few more minutes. Nothing. "Aren't you just greedy now?" There were only two Vital Stars left, and at this pace, there was a chance they wouldn't be enough. Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Dante used the second one on his injured friend. It seemed to work at first, but after a few moments, Nero became even paler than before and started to shiver again. Only his Devil Bringer glowed brighter, bathing the room in blue, radiating light. It seemed like the demonic body part was sucking Nero's vital energy away – or more likely, it was Yamato's doing. "As power-hungry as its former master," Dante uttered his thoughts.

Then it hit him. If it was power Yamato sought, maybe he should give it to the katana. The hunter went trough his drawers again until he came up with a Devil Star. He rarely used them these days. There had been no need until now. Without allowing himself any second thoughts, Dante unleashed the item's power upon Nero. The energy inside the Devil Bringer appeared to be close to its peek, whatever that would cause. Dante's only hope was that by achieving that, he could save Nero the same time. The alchemical energy was absorbed like the Vital Star, and the pulsing light became a steady glow that didn't react to the young man's heartbeat anymore. Dante could feel the energy building up until it was almost overflowing. "Still not enough?" But Nero's wounds were closing already and Dante watched them intently until there was only smooth skin left. He placed an arm around Nero's shoulders and lifted the young man up a bit, to have a look at his back. There were no wounds left; only the blood sullied sofa reminded of the extent of Nero's injuries anymore.

"Let's get you cleaned up." Dante had no idea how long it would take for Nero to regain consciousness again. He lifted the ex-knight up into his arms again and carried him upstairs. Carefully, so the young man's feet or head wouldn't hit the door frame, Dante brought his friend inside Nero's bedroom and placed him onto the bed. He left him there to get a few needed things, and returned shortly after with a bowl filled with warm water and two towels. Placing everything beside him, Dante began to clean Nero's skin, to get rid of all the dirt and also, the disturbing smell of blood and sweat.

During this task, Dante resumed his inner monologue. Now, that Nero's life wasn't in acute danger anymore, the older hunter could calm down somewhat. Being too agitated reminded him of the past. Back when he was nineteen, he had been notorious for his exceptional short temper and rashness. It had rarely done him any good and looking back at these days brought up many regrets. If he should describe the change age had brought, he would say it had made him calmer. Maybe it would be the same with Nero. The young man sure could use it.

Warm, damp fabric smoothed over the human looking arm, leaving nothing behind except clean skin. He continued along the young hunter's shoulder, up his throat, after a quick detour along his nape. Folding the cloth in half, Dante wiped the blood off the pale face, being more careful here. Following the bridge of Nero's nose, the older male noticed once again, how similar they both looked. He couldn't deny that it adulated his narcissism. Who wouldn't have such issues after staring into a living mirror, also known as twin brother, to remind himself, of how good looking they were. After Vergil was gone, it had already been too late to correct that particular characteristic flaw. Truth been told, he didn't mind too much.

As Dante finished with Nero's face his sky blue eyes remained closed. He wiped down the other side of his roommate's neck until he reached his right shoulder, where human and demonic skin merged with each other. Dante still was fascinated with the young man's Devil Bringer. He ran bare fingers down the arm to the point where skin turned to blue scales; a strange texture, but not unpleasant at all. If he hadn't seen it before, Dante wouldn't believe how much power Nero's arm possessed. Thinking back of encountering the fierceness of the young man for the first time, Dante felt himself grinning. Thinking about those memories, he kept his hands busy with cleaning up Nero's right arm. It took more time as blood had dried between the scales and wasn't so easy to get rid of. As he was taking care of fingers and claws, Nero's hand twitched. A quick glance up to the youth's face told Dante, that he hadn't woken up yet, but it wouldn't take long anymore.

Not wanting to alarm the ex-knight during his awakening, Dante began to talk to Nero in a low voice. "You really did a number on yourself this time, hm kid?" Since Nero seemed especially sensitive here, Dante entwined his fingers with Nero's, caressing the back of his hand with his thumb as he continued to clean the half-breed's chest. "You shouldn't have left alone. Knowing you, you won't admit it, but it was a stupid idea in your condition." Eying the younger male's boxer shorts, the last clothing item he had left him, Dante considered to get rid of it since it still wasn't dry. However, he had the feeling, that it would be the particular moment, Nero would choose to wake up, and then, the still idle Devil Bringer would once again make acquaintance with his face. He had no doubt about that. Better to let Nero know what he was about to do beforehand. "C'mon, kid. Wake up." As he wiped down Nero's stomach, he noticed the renewed twitch of fingers as he came across the healed wound. Taking a closer look, he could make out a familiar discoloration in that area. The flesh must have healed with some foreign fragments still embedded. Annoyed, that he hadn't noticed before, Dante clicked his tongue again. He would have to take care of that. "This could get nasty," he sighed.

"What could?" came the hoarse reply. Dante's thumb kept stroking along his friend's hand, unruffled. Nero's eyes were still closed, his features still relaxed, but they contorted with pain as warm fingers pressed gingerly onto the smooth skin above his hip.

"Welcome back. Although it would have been a far more pleasant welcome if you'd have let me take care of this first." The younger male hissed, as probing fingers continued to press against his skin.

"Stop that!" Nero's left hand reached out to take hold of Dante.

"I'm afraid this has to come out first."

The answer was a low groan as Nero wasn't too hell-bent on more pain right now. His whole body still remembered the extent of this sensation. Dante's hands left him, and he could hear the older hunter getting up from the bed, doubtlessly to get something to cause him more misery. Cumbersomely, Nero got himself into a half-sitting position. He felt strange. Even without the pain, he just didn't feel right. His right arm tingled and as he opened his eyes, he was greeted by intense blue light. He tested his luck with Yamato again, but the feeling became only more unpleasant and the voice inside his mind had an unknown dark edge to it. How much more power could it possibly need? Nero was sure he couldn't take much more of it.

"You ready, kid?" Dante asked when he returned to the room, a knife in hand. No, he wasn't, but he was as ready as he would get, so there was no point in stalling. He watched Dante sitting down next to him again, an alarming, playful smile on his lips. Leave it to the older hunter to seek some kind of twisted pleasure in such a task. Maybe the smile was meant to reassure his roommate, but it sure as hell didn't.

"What if I'd say no?" Nero felt himself skidding farther away.

"Lie back down. Trust me; it will be easier that way." Nero did as he was told, but not gladly. Trust him; he had to admit that he did trust the man, strangely enough. If he had the choice, there wouldn't be anyone else whose hands he would want on himself right now. Yet it was kind of unnerving.

Dante touched the skin with his left hand, keeping it taut. He had to be quick about it, or the cuts would start to heal again before he was done. Since Nero's wounds had just healed, the flesh was still tender and the younger hunter hissed as the knife made contact. Dante offered him a sympathetic smile but didn't hesitate. We wouldn't have to be too careful. Nero's renewed healing abilities seemed more powerful than before, and he assumed it had something to do with his still overreacting Devil Bringer. Any kind of infection wouldn't have the slightest chance right now. He just needed to get the foreign material out and the quickest way to do that was…

Nero's scream echoed inside the small room as two warm, but not so careful fingers pushed inside his skin and started to feel around. The younger male tried to lie still, but he didn't know how long he could control himself. His hands clawed at the bed sheets and his muscles went rigid under the sheer force to prevent himself from jerking away from the invasive touch. Teeth buried themselves into his bottom lip, and he sucked harsh breaths through his nose to prevent another scream, as those fingers got hold of the first fragment and pulled it out.

"Two more, kid," Dante announced as the bloody piece of metal was thrown carelessly over his shoulder. He pushed his fingers back inside to prevent the cut from closing. Nero pushed his head back against the pillow and bared his throat in the process, as two red lines of fresh blood ran down his pale cheeks. The sight of it made Dante hesitate and stirred his inner demon. It felt possessive and the same time protective towards the younger man. "You can scream if you want, kid. I don't mind."

"Who would, you sadistic idiot," Nero snarled at him, but had to bite down again, as those warm fingers started to feel around inside again. Tears started to well up and he screwed his eyes shut and hit his head back against the pillow again.

"Nero." The younger male didn't respond this time, too focused on the pain; he even held his breath. Gripping the next piece but not pulling it out just now, Dante waited for Nero to suck in some more oxygen. The ex-knight did just that and shot his roommate an angry glare through half-lidded, wet shining eyes, that seemed to threaten the older hunter to get it done or face a painful death later. The look made Dante's lips spread into a smile again. Instead of telling Nero to scream again, he lifted his left hand and pressed his wrist against the ex-knight's lips. "Want to return the favor?" And as soon as his fingers started to pull a piece of splintering wood out, the younger half-breed buried his teeth deep inside his arm and bit down as hard as he could. Lips still pulled taut into the smile, Dante's remaining face contorted in concentration again. He didn't hesitate again and got rid of the last fragment in a swift motion. After his fingers were pulled out, the cut closed almost immediately and Nero's muscled relaxed again. So did his jaws as he let go of Dante's wrist. His teeth had left bloody imprints that vanished, as soon as Dante smoothed his fingers over them. Same fingers buried themselves in Nero's snowy locks, ruffling them in a familiar motion. "That wasn't so bad, now was it?" he teased the younger hunter.

Nero opened his mouth for an angry protest, but was interrupted by Dante's tongue that used the opportunity to seek access. His mind was wiped clean from what he wanted to say and his hands took hold of Dante's shoulders. He pulled the older man closer to him, and as Dante refused mockingly, Nero arched up from the bed to deal with it himself. Tongues danced together and teeth bit down playfully, as both of them refused to let go so soon, unlike last time.

As he finally leaned back a bit, Dante let his eyes wander over Nero's body. "What a sight," he grinned and his eyes kept ravishing what he saw in front of him. The younger male became aware of his obvious lack of clothing. He hadn't minded before, but now, as Dante's gaze lay so intently on him, it made him blush.

"Shut up," he growled and sat up. Chuckling, Dante ruffled Nero's hair again and pulled the younger hunter closer, until their foreheads touched.

"Get some rest," he told the ex-knight and stood up from the bed.

"Where are you going?" Nero could imagine what Dante was about to do. It was what they had been doing a moment ago that caused him to ask.

"I might have an idea how to deal with this," Dante said and gave a nod in the direction of Nero's Devil Bringer, which was still glowing as brightly as before. "But I need some things first."

"Mind telling me what you're up to?" Nero couldn't help but get an uneasy feeling about the whole thing.

"I'll explain later," his roommate promised and picked up the blanket to drape it over the younger half-demon. "You hungry?"

"Nah, just beat." Nodding in understanding, Dante took the knife and the towels.

"I'll wake you later," he said and left the ex-knight alone.

 

* * *

 

 

A little trip was in order. It led him into the charred remains of the burned down building first. Ignoring the caution tape, Dante entered the partially collapsed building and took a look around. The stench of burned material of all kinds greeted him, and made him wrinkle his nose. Personally, he didn't mind the smell of charred wood or gunpowder, he even kind of liked it, but burned plastic and some chemicals were something, he couldn't get used to. Poking his boot underneath some fallen wooden bars, he kept looking for the two lost weapons of his younger partner. Most likely, Nero hadn't even noticed their absence yet, and Dante wanted to make sure to have them back by the time it would happen. It could take him some time to find anything in here, but he had to trust his luck this time. A satisfied grin spread across his face, as he finally found Blue Rose. Nero's beloved revolver was in desperate need of some serious cleaning, but looked fine otherwise. With his most difficult task out of the way, the hunter went through the burned ruins a last time, just to make sure, but by now he was certain that Red Queen wasn't here anymore. It didn't worry him too much; he had an idea where to look next.

After another short detour, Dante paid Trish a visit. He was lucky to find his ex-partner so quickly, without announcing his visit first. Trish rarely sat at home doing nothing, but the blond demoness said that something had told her that she would see him very soon.

"Unfortunately, we don't have time for fun. I need some Devil Stars," he told her and sat down cavalierly. He had been to her apartment before. It was located at a considerably nicer part of the city, but truth be told, Dante like his shop better. Trish's place was too tidy, too… girlish. You could tell that she had a passion for expensive furniture and clothes. If Dante had any money to waste, it wouldn't be on those things.

"Oh my, and I guess you don't plan on paying for them," she guessed and crossed her arms in front of her chest. He looked up to her standing in front of him and shrugged. No point in denying the obvious. "Fine," she agreed, "but I'll come by later. You got some things to explain." A curt nod of thanks was all he offered her as a good-bye. Getting up from the armchair, he made his way over to the dresser where he knew she kept these kinds of items. It was time to return to the shop. Most likely Nero was awake by now.

 

* * *

 

 

It wouldn't be before the next afternoon, as the police officer in charge of an unsettled case of arson and aggravated assault came into an old, dusty storage room inside the department building to collect a huge, ominously looking sword, that its absence was noticed for the first time. No one had seen anything, and the metal doors had been locked. There were no signs of break-in and no one had filed a request for the weapon, but it was indeed missing without a trace. How should he explain that to his chief? He had no idea; all he knew was that he would have to face some serious paper work later.


	10. Yamato (part II)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ¹ tsuba 鍔 – is the part of a katana right above the hilt that protects the hands of the wielder. The hilt itself is called tsuka 柄. In case of Yamato in DMC4 it's a bronze tsuba and a black and white tsuka.
> 
> ² saya 鞘 – is the scabbard of a Japanese sword. Yamato's saya is made of black lacquered wood and decorated with metallic ornaments.

_**'l sol tace** _

* * *

Chapter X

 

* * *

Dante left his bike in front of the shop. He took Red Queen from his back. The sword didn't fit too well, since the leather on his back had been a custom build for Rebellion but Nero's beloved weapon had made it home without a scratch. He had checked. Blue Rose was in a far worse condition.

"You shouldn't be up," were the first words Dante offered Nero as a greeting, as he came back inside. His younger roommate had left his bed and was loitering on the old sofa downstairs. He rose into a sitting position as he spotted his sword in Dante's hand, obviously alerted by the fact, that he had missed its absence before. He wanted to get up, but Dante came over to him and laid Red Queen on the coffee table for the younger man to inspect. Nero had dressed in a pair of loose fitting jeans and a black hoody, but even the dark fabric couldn't conceal the intensive glowing from his Devil Bringer. He could tell that Nero was still feeling concerned about what was happening to him, and the young man had all the reason to do so. Knowing it was Yamato inside the ex-knight's right arm, Dante felt so too.

"Couldn't sleep," came the gruff reply, and the young man reached out and took hold of his sword. Sitting down nonchalantly next to Nero, Dante leaned back, resting his arms on the back of the couch. The frown on Nero's face made him reach over and ruffle the soft white locks. By now, he felt so accustomed to this gesture; it had become a little habit of him. The younger male leaned a bit into the touch but said nothing. For Dante, this was good enough nevertheless. He knew Nero just wasn't the type who would act all clingy and romantic all of the sudden. The boy had his pride after all. "Did you get what you wanted?"  _Well… A kiss would be nice, maybe one or two bites here and there – oh wait._  Dante leaned his head back and reached into the pocket of his coat with his unoccupied hand.

"Wasn't a problem," he assured the younger hunter and watched him check his precious weapon. Nero wasn't satisfied until he gave Red Queen a quick rev and heard her purr again. The young man's shoulders fell slightly as the tension left him. Dante winced a bit and reached for Blue Rose on his back. "This baby on the other hand…" He handed the revolver to Nero whose eyes widened at the sight of his gun.

"Where did you get them?" He started to rub furiously on the soot with his sleeve.

"You must have left them after the fight. Don't worry. It's nothing a little maintenance wouldn't fix. – Now, come over here." Watching Nero struggle to leave his gun for now and putting it on the table made Dante smirk a little. The younger man came a bit closer and waited expectantly. Most likely, Nero was curious of what kind of plan Dante had come up with, but the older hunter had other things on his mind right now. He put one arm around Nero's shoulders and pulled him close, until the ex-knight was leaning against him and he could burry his nose in Nero's hair. "We'll come to that," he promised to avoid unnecessary questions. He sighed softly as the smell of smoke reached his nose from Nero's hair. "Just hold still for now."

"What are you doing, old man?" Nero wasn't in the mood for cuddling right now. His right arm felt like it was on fire and reminded him of his predicament with every pulse of energy. Then again, it was typical for Dante to be selfish even in this kind of situation.

"Do you even know what you made me go through? Huh? Watching you like this, seeing you suffer and bleed?" Dante pulled him even closer as he felt the resistance inside the younger half-breed. "I hate to lose my cool, kid. Don't do that to me." Maybe he had to let Dante be selfish once in a while. Nero still remembered how he had suffered back in Fortuna, when Kyrie had been in danger. He knew how that felt like. Being the one who could cause such emotions inside another person was new to him. It was a kind of power he didn't want to explore or make use of.

"Stupid old man," he grumbled and laid his head on Dante's shoulder. If the older man needed some physical attention right now, he was fine with that. It was a pleasant change for once, to have someone who simply demanded such things instead of being all shy about it. It meant he could act like that too without feeling selfish for doing so. With Kyrie, it had been different. This was a very different kind of relationship. – Relationship. It still needed some getting used to, to think about having something like that with Dante. The older hunter didn't seem like someone who would share his life with one single person. Nero couldn't imagine it. It left a bitter taste inside his mouth, the feeling of being toyed with. Then again, how could he expect it to work, if he didn't trust his partner in the first place? Dante had done nothing to betray his trust so far. Granted, he hadn't had the time for it but still, it was a start. He could work with that.

"Did it heal?" Dante's fingers sneaked under the hoody and smoothed over pale skin above Nero's stomach. The younger hunter nodded and enjoyed the touch for a while. It seemed like Dante still needed halfhearted excuses between them just to touch his partner's bare skin. Nero couldn't imagine him act like that with one of the men or women from Love Planet. It made him feel different. _Special_ , he corrected himself. There was no room for different between him and Dante. He didn't want that again. He had been different all his life, he had enough of it. However, he didn't like that kind of behavior with Dante. It was out of character in a way, seemed like an act on his behalf. Nero didn't need that. And he would make sure that Dante knew about it.

"Hey, Dante." He took hold of Dante's exploring fingers and pulled them away.

"Hm?" The older hunter looked at him questionably. Instead of telling him, Nero straddled his roommate and leaned back enough to look him in the eyes. His left hand reached out and touched Dante's chest. He didn't like the feeling of his Devil Bringer, so he ignored it the best he could right now and let his right arm hang beside him. His human hand explored Dante's chest, up to the older man's neck. He used it to pull his partner slightly forward, as he leaned down and kissed him. He could feel the smirk on Dante's lips, which made him grin too. Sometimes, actions spoke louder than words. The older half-demon's hands found their way back on his skin and went under his hoody. He made sure to flex his abs. Both of their bodies were nothing like a woman, and he sure as hell didn't want Dante to handle him like one. He didn't want to play the submissive, gentle part in this relationship either. If Dante wanted him, he had to be prepared for a little fight. Proving that, Nero started to bite at the older hunter's lips and grabbed a handful of hair. Dante's answer came swift in form of a rough tug that forced his knees to bent further and pressed his body flush against Dante's. Two hands grabbed his ass firmly and Nero rolled his eyes. It was like Dante to claim what he wanted right away, he should have expected that. But he was okay with it. His partner was more experienced anyway and he would get his chance to get the upper hand sooner or later. There was no rush.

Their tongues had started to explore another's mouths by now and Nero rolled his hips against Dante's. He didn't want to stop so soon, but the burning inside his right arm became more and more intolerable. It made him hiss in annoyance and Dante pulled back a bit.

"What's wrong?" He searched Nero's eyes and rested his hands on the younger half-breed's back.

"Hurts," Nero admitted, and flexed his claws a bit. He let Dante take his right hand and lift it up between them. Aside from the excessive glowing, there was nothing different from before. Nero watched Dante frown at his Devil Bringer. The older male then reached for Nero's hoody and pulled it over the young man's head. "Pervert, you just want to see me strip," the ex-knight joked and Dante flashed him a grin.

"I admit, that would be something, kid. But right now, I guess it has to wait." He reached inside his pocket again and held two Devil Stars up between them. "You know what these are?" Nero nodded. "Good. I used one of them earlier on you. Seems like your arm absorbed all of its energy. Tell me, do you still hear that voice?"

"Yeah, it sounds a lot more impatient now. Leave it up to you to piss my inner demon off. Thanks a lot, old man." Nero eyed the Devil Stars suspiciously. "So you want to use more of them and see what happens, right?"

"That's the plan, unless you have a better idea. It's your arm." It was worth a shot. Nero was ready to try almost anything by now.

"Okay. But be ready to get your ass handed to you. I don't know what will happen." He shrugged and tried to make it seem like he wasn't too concerned about Dante's plan, even though he was getting a bit nervous.

"You need some dreams when you are young, I get that. Don't get your hopes up though. I can handle you, even if you'd trigger on me." It sounded reassuring. Nero had seen him do so before, and he hoped Dante would be able to keep him in check again this time. He reached for one of the Stars with his left hand.

"Okay, let's do this." He stayed where he was. If he would lose control, it was better to stay inside Dante's reach. Red Queen was right behind him, which made him hesitate. "Hey Dante, you can use her, okay? If you need her, I mean." He nodded in his sword's direction. That reminded him of something else. Reaching behind the older man's back, he made sure that Ebony and Ivory where in their place. "Don't blow my head off, kay?" If things got out of hand, he wouldn't blame Dante for shooting him, but he still preferred him not to do so.

"Don't worry, kid. I'll be gentle." There it was again, that self-pleased, self-assured grin on the elder's lips.

"Bet you will," Nero sighed unconvinced. He frowned in concentration and used the first Devil Star. It felt like a euphoric rush at first, a pleasant, burning feeling, spreading inside him, making his skin flush. He knew that feeling. It wasn't the first time he had used a Devil Star. Normally, it would pass soon enough and fade out. Not this time. Once again, the energy was sucked away by his Devil Bringer and the burning in his arm intensified. It made Nero grit his teeth and he felt Dante tense. The ex-knight could feel sweat erupt from his skin and gripped his right wrist. Panting, he locked his eyes with Dante. There was deep concern in the face in front of him and as he saw his own reflection in those pale orbs, he could see a shine of red. His own eyes started to glow red. He noticed his vision change.  _Still not enough_. "Give me the second one", he gritted out. Dante did as he was told and watched Nero use it. The young man groaned out in pain and threw his head back.

A surge of demonic energy was the only warning. Nero stared in horror at his right arm, as he felt something move inside it. He clenched his left hand tighter around his wrist but couldn't stop it. The pain was excruciating, and he felt the pressure build up inside his Devil Bringer. "No!" was all he could grit out before the sharp tip of a blade pierced the skin of his hand, as he felt his Devil Arm materialize inside his right arm.

"Nero!" Dante was struck by terror as he realized what was happening. There was nothing he knew of, that could cut into the skin of Nero's Devil Bringer - with one exception; Yamato. And it was the masterly forged blade of his brother's sword that forced its way out between twitching claws. Nero screamed as more and more of the sword's blade materialized inside him, cutting into flesh and shattered bones. Dante reached out, but a new power surge pressed him back against the sofa and sent Nero crashing backwards into the coffee table. It broke under him and let him fall to the floor with Red Queen and Blue Rose clattering out of reach behind him.

The young man rolled onto his side and screamed again, his face pressed into the wooden floor beams, his arm clutched against his chest as he curled around it. The blade extended further, poking out from his hand. He could feel it vibrate from too much energy. The power was too much to be contained. Dante was beside him now, kneeling to his right. His hands were on his shoulders, trying to pull him up. He could hear his voice but the drone inside his head made it impossible to make out the words he said. "Make it stop!" Nero screamed in horror.

But nothing like that happened. Nero could feel the blade sliding out, agonizingly slow. He could feel it inside his arm, as if someone was summoning it against his will. Slowly, slowly – from the tip up all the way to… His eyes became wide as he imagined the  _tsuba_   _¹_ , Yamato's bronze guard and its  _tsuka_  would be next. "Make it stop! Make it stop, goddammit!" The panic started to overwrite his mind, and there was nothing he could do against it. Tears leaked from his eyes, but he didn't notice them. Dante pulled him up, but he couldn't listen to him. He just wanted it to stop.

Dante tried to calm his partner down but it was useless. He couldn't even get hold of the ex-knight's Devil Bringer. Nero slapped his hands away, as if they were the cause of the pain he experienced right now. "Nero! Nero, don't!" He kept repeating the young man's name over and over. About twenty inches of the blade had pierced Nero's hand already and Dante was afraid that the hilt of the sword had yet to force its way out. The young man in his grip started to struggle more violently now, trashed to get free. In his panic, he hit the blade against the floor and injured his hand even more. Dante cursed under his breath and pulled the young man back forcefully until Nero lay on top of him, his back facing his partner. Dante tried again to grip his Devil Bringer but it seemed his arm was the only part, Nero wouldn't let him touch. He considered pulling the sword out before it was fully materialized but Nero didn't give him a chance.

As the sword appeared to be stuck, Dante knew they were at the point he had feared most. It was too late by now to pull it out. And judging by the screaming and shaking of the younger man, Nero had realized that too. Dante held him down with one arm slung around his midriff and his legs entwined around Nero's. "Don't look," he hissed into the ex-knight's ear. Finally, Dante got hold of Nero's right hand. He gripped it hard to prevent the younger man from inuring himself by trashing. Carefully to avoid the gap between Nero's middle and ring finger, where Yamato pierced his skin, he held onto the Devil Bringer. He could feel the shaking. It came from Nero's tense muscles as well as the vibrating blade. Blood ran down both of their hands and arms now. "Nero, look away," he hissed again, as he could feel Yamato shift again.

The young man's scream tore from his throat, as he was unable to move in Dante's steel grip that held him down. The katana pulsed with more energy now, fully summoned. It ripped from his arm in a spinning motion, cutting its way out downward of the demonic skin all the way through Nero's palm, down to the middle of his forearm, where it tore a huge gap into his flesh. Dante had heard the sound countless of times in his life. It was the sound of the sharp blade slicing through demon skin like a hot knife through butter. Not even Nero's Devil Bringer could resist it. All he could do was stare at his brother's sword, as it came free, drenched in blood that had stained the material of the hilt deep red. Yamato kept spinning over them, like wielded by an unknown force and stayed in midair for a few moments, sending pulsing waves of demonic energy through the room. Nero had gone limp in Dante's arms, out cold and the older hunter felt relieved, as he felt steady breaths sucking oxygen into the ex-knights lungs above him.

Carefully, Dante sat up again, one arm still slung around his partner to keep him close. Yamato was out of reach, lingering in front of him, still radiating energy as if calling out to him. Before the older half-demon could stand, it fell suddenly and clattered to the blood splattered floor. The next moment, the double doors crashed open as Trish hurried inside, eyes scanning the room but unable to understand what had happened in here.

"Dante! What happened? I could feel it half the way down the street!" Her eyes fell onto Yamato and she gasped.

"Things didn't work out as planed," Dante replied grimly and stood up with Nero lifted in his arms. "Keep an eye on Yamato," he told her and carried his younger partner upstairs. Laying Nero onto the bed, he lifted his Devil Bringer to inspect the damage to its demonic skin. The wound was deep, but he could see it heal from the inside already. That was a good sign. Not wanting to leave the healing flesh uncovered, Dante got some bandages from his room. He was nearly done with taking care of Nero's arm when Trish entered the room. She held Yamato in her right hand. The sight of the sword disturbed Dante. "Wait downstairs. I'll be there soon." She nodded and left again. Making sure Nero was resting peacefully for now; Dante swept a few sweat drenched white locks out of the young man's face and stood up.

He found Trish leaning against his desk, where Yamato rested on the surface. Taking a seat in his chair, Dante sighed and tried to find a point to start his explanation. They kept staring at the sword in silence for a few minutes until Dante spoke first. "Before you ask, I don't know why it happened." Sure, he knew what had caused the last event. It had been him, after all, who had came up with the idea of giving the Devil Stars to Nero. But why Yamato had been acting like that in the first place, he had no idea. The sword was lying in front of him. He could feel it. It was like the sword was humming to him.

"You think it's Vergil inside the boy?" Trish leaned back against the old mahogany desk, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"No." Dante's voice was cold. "My brother was trapped inside the demon world until Mundus sent him back." His eyes fell onto the drawer where he kept the glove he had worn when Vergil had slashed his hand open with Yamato.

"Then what? There has to be a connection." She could see worry in Dante's face. The hunter had come to a conclusion, which he didn't dare to share right now. It meant he didn't like what his mind had come up with and she could understand that. Vergil was a topic no one touched frivolously in front of Dante. He missed his brother dearly, and the years that had passed hadn't changed anything.

"I'll check on the kid," the hunter said and went upstairs again, taking Yamato with him.

He found Nero where he had left him. Dante stood beside his bed and watched him for a while, his mind far away inside his memories. Yamato was responding to his will like it had before. He could summon the black  _saya_  ² again, like he had back in Fortuna. Even though Nero never had used it with the katana, Dante knew how important that part had been to Vergil. His younger twin had mastered his attacks, using the scabbard for his finishing moves. It had made Yamato even deadlier.

The sword was resonating inside Dante's grip. It called out to him, screamed for him, still charged with tremendous power. Dante's eyes were gleaming with the light the blade reflected on him. He gave the sword a playful twirl like he had seen Vergil doing many times. The sound it made reminded him that he held one of the sharpest blades ever made inside his hand. "Brother." He sheathed the katana again and felt the sword trembling. Nero was still out cold and so Dante left him alone to rest. The powerful presence of Yamato would only disturb the younger male.

Trish looked up to him expectantly as she stood next to the stairs. "What are you going to do about it?"

"Do me a favor and stay for a while. Someone needs to watch him and I need to go out for a bit." He came down the stairs.

"Fine. You sure, you will be okay on your own?" She watched him skeptically.

"I'm a big boy. I'll manage. Besides, it's better to do some things when no one else is watching you." She hummed in agreement to his words and watched him leave Ebony and Ivory on his desk. He wouldn't need them. Rebellion had to stay behind as well. With only Yamato in hand, Dante grabbed his keys and left the shop.

His bike brought him in front of the frightening looking tower inside the city. Temen-ni-gru would be the right place for him right now. Nowhere else was he bound to find so many demons at once. The tower called out to them, kept them close. Yamato's build up energy needed some release, and some excessive demon slaying would surely help him speed up the process. It felt good to wield his brother's sword again. It was a very intimate feeling to him and it brought up a lot of old memories.

Yamato lusted for blood. He could feel it. The blade had been dormant for too long. Every time it sliced through the air, it sang to him. It was a sound he had missed. The delicate looking katana was really a masterpiece. Dante spent hours inside the dark tower. Screams of demons echoed inside the halls as they perished on his blade. He called out to them; let them gather until they whispered his name in a silent promise. DAANNTEE… More and more gathered. He cut them down mercilessly, one after another. Yamato felt so light in his hand, so different from Rebellion. And they called out to him again. DAANNTEE! He let them come. All of them, bathed in their blood, until the echo inside the tower went silent again.

* * *

"Rest, brother. You know I miss you." He looked down at the sword in his hand. At this moment Dante wished for Nero's ability to absorb the demonic weapon inside his body. He felt the need to keep his brother's sword close, unlike a year ago when he had given it to Nero. At that time it had almost been painful to hold Yamato. It had reminded him of things he wanted to forget. Now he knew. Things may be forgotten but that didn't mean they would disappear. He couldn't run away from them anymore. Vergil wouldn't want him to and his brother deserved better than to become a distant memory. "Stay where you belong." He placed the sword on his bedside table. It would be mounted on the wall later, would be kept close. And Dante needed something else close to him - someone.

The young ex-knight was downstairs as he found him. Nero sat on the porch in front of the shop, a bottle of tomato juice in his left hand. Dante sat beside him and reached for the softly glowing Devil Bringer of the young man that was still wrapped with the bandage. Nero took a sip from his juice, as he watched Dante unravel the white fabric. He raised an eyebrow but said nothing, as gentle fingers moved along is arm. The demonic skin had knitted itself together again. Dante traced the skin where Yamato had ripped it apart. He saw Nero's claws twitching. "Hurts?"

"Nah, just over sensitive." Nero placed the half-full bottle between their feet. "I can't trigger anymore." It was a statement spoken matter-of-factly. Dante nodded. His fingers were still wandering over Nero's arm.

"I suppose you would need Yamato. But I'm not so sure if it is a good idea for you to use it again." Nero sighed and scratched his head with his left hand.

"I don't know. That thing saved my ass before, you know? Feels kind of weird now that it's gone." He flexed his claws again until he felt Dante's fingers entwining themselves with them.

"I know. But truth be told, I'd rather keep an eye on you for some time." The older man leaned back a little, his gaze wandering along the deserted street.

"I don't need a babysitter, old man." A grin tugged at Dante's lips but he didn't look at Nero as he answered.

"It's more like I can't take my eyes off you, kid. Need to keep that devil inside me satisfied, you know?" Nero snorted at that and rolled his eyes.

"You have been checking me out since the day I came here."

"What? Lies!" Dante feigned dismay.

"Yeah, sure," the younger answered, clearly unimpressed.

"I've been checking you out since the day we first met," the other grinned.

"Yeah? Well, guess we have more in common than we thought then." Leaning in towards his older roommate, Nero kissed him. Dante didn't need another invitation to respond and sneaked his fingers through soft, white locks to keep Nero close. As their lips parted again, Nero sat back again, a soft smile on his lips.

"Hey, kid." Dante took the bottle from between them and drank the rest of the juice.

"Hm?" The ex-knight looked up but couldn't find any stars. The city was too bright for him to see them. Back in Fortuna, he had gazed at them many times.

"Now that it's over, you'll stay for a while, right? – I mean, I have to know if I have to take care of your share of the rent again, you know?" The second part was added rather hastily, which told Nero that Dante wanted to conceal the meaning behind his words. But he had understood them anyway. How unlike his older partner to act shy all of the sudden. It made him smile. But it was time for a bit of payback. Humming, as if he had to think about it, Nero waited a bit longer. Dante's eyes searched the neighborhood for something that wasn't there, just to avoid looking at him. Then, Nero stood up and stretched.

"I'll never go back. There's nothing left on that island." That said, the ex-knight turned around and left. Dante couldn't help but feel a smile creeping into his face. He was about to follow the young hunter, as something shiny caught his eye. Picking it up from the ground, he turned the item between his fingers, revealing the Orders signature ring, Nero had carried on his left index finger. He must have thrown it away. "You coming old man?" Letting go of the discarded item, Dante went after the young half demon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hm, this chapter was fun. I'm sure my neighbors would have a different opinion on that but luckily, I'm living in an old building with very thick walls (I would know, since I had to install a few cables when I moved here). A lot of music was used to write this story. For this chapter e.g. I was listening to Noisia's new DmC track, a remix of Celldweller's I can't wait by Paul Udarov and some other stuff. I admit my poor beta would have a lot less to shake her head over, if the music wouldn't be louder than my logic ^^'' - Dear Bitbyboth a huge thank you again!
> 
>  
> 
> A fitting end, don't you think? What? 'There is so much left unsaid'? True. Vergil's part e.g. - but oh boy, there would be no end to it. He is my favorite character of the series after all. What's yours? Since you read all of the chapters, I guess it's Dante. (or maybe Nero?) Well, what can I say… I got so many new stories in my head already; I don't know where to start. Anyway, be so kind and leave me a comment if you find the time. Hope you enjoyed the story.


End file.
